British Airways passengers will soon benefit from an Amazon-style booking app, allowing flights to be secured with just a few clicks, as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the airline’s decades-old website.
This initiative is a key component of a £7bn modernisation programme spearheaded by BA’s chief executive, Sean Doyle, aimed at rejuvenating the airline.
The revamped app and website are already in trial for flights from London Gatwick to three Italian cities—Bari, Cagliari, and Catania—along with Montpellier in France and Antalya, Turkey. Positive feedback has bolstered BA’s confidence in a full rollout, Doyle shared at the International Air Transport Association summit in Dubai.
“We’ve done upgrades before, but this one is very different. It’s embracing technology in a way we haven’t done since the dot.com boom and looking ahead at future-proofing the business,” said Doyle. He emphasised that the new system, built from scratch, would be simple, user-friendly, resilient, and more convenient than its predecessor, which has been in place for 22 years.
The upgrade will offer an “omni-channel” approach, ensuring a consistent user experience across the new app, BA.com, and mobile devices. The goal is to emulate the convenience of online retail giants like Amazon, where transactions can be completed with just three clicks.
While families planning holidays may continue to use the website, the app is expected to become the primary tool for frequent travellers, such as business users. Doyle highlighted that the app would excel in handling repeatable processes efficiently.
The digital overhaul aims to enable travellers to complete every transaction online, up from about 70 per cent currently. This includes rebooking, refunds, and flight cancellations.
British Airways is keen to avoid pitfalls like those faced by American Airlines, whose complex new booking system failed to meet revenue expectations, impacting corporate travel bookings and resulting in a significant share price drop and the departure of its chief commercial officer.
In addition to the digital transformation, BA is upgrading its inflight entertainment, introducing new cabins in its Airbus A320-series short-haul planes, and opening new lounges in Dubai, Miami, Lagos, and Seattle. A revamped first-class cabin is also set to debut on BA’s A380 superjumbos later this year. About £3.5bn of the modernisation budget will be allocated to acquiring new aircraft.
The airline has also increased its workforce at London Heathrow by 400 people compared to 2019 to improve flight punctuality and operational resilience.
Furthermore, BA is deploying AI to enhance maintenance efficiency by predicting issues that require attention, allowing parts to be ordered in advance and reducing downtime.
BA has already completed 200 of the 600 modernisation initiatives it set in March, focusing on revenue generation, customer and employee satisfaction, cost management, and sustainability.