British Airways has become the first UK airline to officially recognize the Sunflower Lanyard, which designates a guest with hidden disabilities. The carrier has also launched a new podcast called ‘The Check In’ with BA team members taking center stage.
On Thursday (February 17, 2022), British Airways announced that they have partnered with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to become the first UK airline to officially recognize the Sunflower Lanyard, which alerts colleagues of a guest with hidden disabilities. The Sunflower is recognized in the US and UK, and increasing awareness of non-visible disabilities is part of the airline’s BA Better World program to create a more welcoming experience for all guests. Customers can now choose to where a Sunflower lanyard as an indication that they may require additional support, assistance, or just a little more time when traveling. The partnership with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower will include videos embedded in the airline’s training modules, as well as via the company’s staff intranet.
In Thursday’s announcment, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, Tom Stevens, said,
“Almost half a million customers who require additional assistance fly with British Airways each year. We’re proud to be the first UK airline to partner with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower and are committed to doing everything we can to support customers who may need additional assistance as part of our BA Better World programme, so they can have the best possible experience when travelling with us.”
Paul White, CEO of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower added,
“I am delighted that British Airways is the first UK airline to launch the Sunflower. As well as being supported at over 130 airports globally, people with non-visible disabilities wearing the Sunflower will now be supported on British Airways flights. This a significant step in our goal for Sunflower wearers to be confident to travel independently knowing that they will be supported when they need to be.”
In a separate press release today, British Airways announced the launch of a new podcast called ‘The Check In’, with British Airways team members taking center stage. The podcast will provide insight into what is happening behind the scenes at British Airways, with episodes hosted by four of the airline’s employees with guests from different areas of the business. The first episode is now downloadable, and focuses on the airline’s BA Better World sustainability programme.
The podcast is a first for the airline and will see Julian Marshall (British Airways 777 training captain), Paul Ewan (a customer service manager at London Gatwick), Molly Armstrong (a team leader based in the Manchester customer engagement centre), and Caroline Ali (a customer experience representative at LHR), spending each episode finding out more about little-know areas of the airline.
Episode one is now available to download from Apple Podcasts or at acast.com, with new episodes released on a regular basis.
Source: British Airways