British Airways check-in: when and how to check in online
The rules below are checked against the official website. Checking in with British Airways is always free: nobody needs to pay a service to do it, let alone a subscription.
📬 Free check-in reminder
Tell us when and where you are flying: we will email you as soon as British Airways check-in opens, with the official link. The button takes you straight to the British Airways website.
It opens 24 hours before departure. Give us your take-off time if you know it: the reminder will arrive at exactly the right moment, otherwise we aim for the evening before.
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Who is British Airways?
Born in 1974 from the merger of BOAC and BEA, British Airways is the United Kingdom's flag carrier, now part of the IAG group, and a founding member of the oneworld alliance. It flies from London Heathrow and Gatwick to some 215 destinations. In France, it links twelve airports with London: Paris CDG, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, but also Grenoble, Chambéry, Ajaccio, Montpellier, Toulon and Bergerac, with up to 220 flights a week in high season.
On flights to France, economy still offers free water and a snack, and British Airways presents itself as the only British airline to offer a business class on every one of these flights. Even the Basic ticket includes a cabin case and a small bag; only hold luggage is paid for. Seats are assigned automatically on Basic, and free to choose 24 hours before on other fares. Free Starlink Wi-Fi, announced in November 2025, is progressing slowly: five aircraft equipped in June 2026, with installation suspended until the end of October.
British Airways is a good choice for London, for heading on to North America or Asia via Heathrow on a single ticket, and for Avios collectors. It is less so if you chain two separate bookings (bags to collect and check in again in London, with no protection in case of delay), if you are travelling with your cat or dog, never allowed in the cabin, or if you are flying from Montpellier, Toulon or Bergerac, where check-in is only at the desk.
What British Airways does well
- A dense network from France: twelve French airports linked with London and up to 220 flights a week in high season, to four London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, City and Stansted).
- Even on the Basic fare, a 56 x 45 x 25 cm cabin case and a 40 x 30 x 15 cm bag are included at no extra cost.
- On flights to France, free water and a snack in economy, and a business class offered on every flight.
- Solid punctuality: around 74% of flights on time from October 2024 to September 2025 according to AirHelp, 17th airline out of 117.
What often catches people out
- Everything relies on Heathrow: on 21 March 2025, a fire at a nearby electrical substation paralysed the airport for almost the whole day: 1,332 flights cancelled, 51% of them operated by British Airways.
- For departures from Montpellier, Toulon and Bergerac, online check-in does not exist: you have to go to the desk, which closes 45 minutes before departure.
- On Basic, seats are assigned automatically: a family that does not pay for its seats may be spread over several rows, and children over 12 are treated as adults by the system.
- With two separate bookings (Nice to London, then London to New York, for example), there is no through check-in: bags must be collected and checked in again in London, and British Airways will not rebook you if the first flight is late.
🕐 PunctualityAround 74% of British Airways flights arrived on time (less than 15 minutes late) between October 2024 and September 2025, according to the AirHelp Score 2025: overall score 7.44/10, 17th out of 117 airlines, and 6.5/10 for compensation handling.
Frequently asked questions
When does British Airways online check-in open?
24 hours before departure, on ba.com (Manage My Booking section) or in the British Airways app.
When does British Airways check-in close?
No single published time for online check-in: you must have your boarding pass before airport check-in closes, which is 60 minutes before departure in Paris and Nice, 45 minutes at other short-haul airports (with exceptions, including 90 minutes in Brussels), and at least 60 minutes on long-haul. The exact time is shown in Manage My Booking.
Can I travel with my cat or small dog in the cabin?
No. British Airways does not accept any pets in the cabin: they travel in the hold, handled to the United Kingdom by IAG Cargo, the airline's sister company. Only assistance dogs travel free of charge in the cabin, not emotional support dogs. To enter the United Kingdom, dogs and cats must also comply with the British Pet Travel Scheme.
Do I have to pay to choose my seat?
It depends on the fare. On most tickets, choosing becomes free when check-in opens, 24 hours before departure. On Basic, you can pay to choose earlier, or let the airline assign you a free seat at check-in. With a baby under 2 on your lap, seat selection is free for the whole booking from the moment of purchase.
Can I drop off my bags the day before on the way back from London?
Yes, for a flight leaving the next morning. At Heathrow, the overnight bag drop runs from 16:00 to 21:30 at Terminal 3 and from 16:00 to 22:00 at Terminal 5, for flights before 10:00. At Gatwick, it runs from 18:00 to 21:00 for flights before 13:00. You must already have your boarding pass.
Rules taken from the official British Airways website. They may change: the reminder we send always includes the current official link.
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