British Airways (BA) is trialling a new digital wayfinding tool to help passengers navigate through London Heathrow Airport’s (LHR) Terminal 3 and Terminal 5.

The trial, which began in June, allows passengers travelling through LHR to access the tool through QR codes on digital screens at the airport or by visiting wayfinding.maps.ba.com.

Interactive maps helps customers who are travelling through the hub to locate departure gates, shops, lounges and restaurants, toilets, seating areas plus other information points and the airport’s layout.

Those passengers interested in retail options can view shop locations, opening times and a description of items to buy.

Passengers who are connecting can input details of their inbound and connecting services and are then given step-by-step instructions along with an animated map.

This shows how to transfer from the arrival gate through flight connections and on to connecting departure gates.

Tool is accessed through QR codes on digital screens

As part of the trial, links to wayfinding have also been sent to all passengers travelling into LHR and connecting from airport destinations including New York JFK, Dubai, Mexico City, Atlanta, Dallas Fort Worth and Houston.

BA Chief Customer Officer Calum Laming said: “We always want to make travelling through the airport as easy as possible for our customers, so we’re really excited to be trialling a new wayfinding tool this summer.

“The interactive map is simple to use, allowing our customers to easily locate their departure gates and discover nearby restaurants and shops for some last-minute duty free shopping and for those customers who are eligible, our lounges. Of course, our colleagues will still be on hand to help as well.”

Any passengers requiring assistance are recommended to contact the BA accessibility team ahead of travel.

Elsewhere, BA has rolled out digital baggage receipts in the airline’s app in addition to the physical copy printed at the airport.

Through the app, passengers at LHR also now receive notifications when their bag has reached the arrivals hall, including at which carousel.