British Airways urges passengers to drop luggage off the day BEFORE they fly amid ongoing staff shortage chaos at Heathrow British Airways is advising passengers to drop off luggage a night before travel Heathrow Terminal 5 is very busy with customers saying it has been 'total chaos' Travellers reported seeing only two open security lanes to deal with passengers Airport staff have been forced to go into self isolation due to the NHS Covid app By David Churchill For The Daily Mail Published: 22:00 BST, 14 July 2021 | Updated: 22:01 BST, 14 July 2021 Viewcomments British Airways is urging travellers to consider dropping off their luggage the day before flying after chaotic scenes at Heathrow Airport due to staff shortages. The UK’s flagship carrier is sending reminders to customers that the airport’s Terminal 5 will be ‘busy’ and that they may want to check-in their bags the night before they fly. On Monday travellers described scenes of ‘total chaos’ as dozens of security staff failed to show for work because they were ‘pinged’ and told to self-isolate by the NHS app. Passengers at Heathrow Airport have faced significant delays due to staff shortages British Airways is advising passengers to drop their luggage at Heathrow Airport the night they are due to travel to avoid potential delays Large numbers of staff at Heathrow Airport have been forced to self isolate after being pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app Travellers reported only two security lanes being open at one point for thousands of travellers. Images and video were posted on social media showing travellers packed into Terminal 5 with little social distancing as they waited to get through security. It meant dozens of flights were delayed and some passengers missed their flights. BA is now urging travellers to consider dropping off their bags at Terminal 5 between the hours of 4pm and 9pm the night before if they are due to fly before 1pm the next day. The message being sent by text and email to customers reads: ‘The airport will be busy when you fly. ‘To save time and avoid long queues, you can check in your bag the day before you fly from 16:00 - 21:00 at London Heathrow T5. ‘You can also check-in hand baggage free of charge.’ The chaos at Heathrow on Monday morning affected flights between 7am and 1pm, with the airport drafting in extra staff and insisting the problem had been fixed by the afternoon. However, with further security staff subject to being ‘pinged’ and having to self-isolate, travellers are being urged to arrive at the airport several hours before they are due to take off. A BA spokesman said: ‘We are pleased to offer our long-standing twilight check-in service for customers to enable them to start their journey as relaxed as possible.’ Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility