British Airways has become the first UK airline to officially recognise the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
Customers can choose to wear a Sunflower lanyard as an indication that they may require additional support, assistance or simply a little more time while travelling. The initiative forms part of the airline’s continued efforts to make travel simple and easy for customers with additional assistance needs.
The airline’s new partnership with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower will see the organisation’s bespoke, high-quality videos embedded into British Airways’ training modules. British Airways colleagues will also have access to specialised videos via the airline’s staff intranet. This training will provide colleagues with an understanding of what an invisible disability is and how to become more confident to approach and support customers wearing a Sunflower lanyard.
“Almost half a million customers who require additional assistance fly with British Airways each year,” said Tom Stevens, Director of Brand and Customer Experience, British Airways. “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 Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, commented: “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 is 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.”
Supporting customers with additional needs
British Airways has invested in several initiatives to ensure a seamless experience for customers requiring additional assistance. In 2018, the airline launched its ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign. This global accessibility training programme empowers customer-facing colleagues to improve support for customers requiring additional assistance. It includes a new library of digital learning, providing information about invisible disabilities and practical advice on how to support customers at each stage of their journey.
In 2019, the airline created a dedicated team of accessibility experts to assist with customer enquiries. British Airways also became the first and only airline to be awarded the renowned Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society and is the first airline to produce a Visual Guide to Flying to help customers prepare for their flight. The same year, British Airways signed up to the ‘Valuable 500’ pledge to make accessibility a global business priority.
