Bit more information on API:-
Advance Passenger Information (API) was originally introduced by the US authorities as a means of speeding up immigration procedures. On a voluntary basis airlines could supply passport information for passengers when their flights departed for the USA, thus enabling routine checks to be made before their arrival.
Since the tragic events of September 11 2001, there has been additional focus upon providing information about airline passengers for security reasons.
Now the law requires British Airways (and all other airlines) to collect Advance Passenger Information for all passengers before travel to or from the USA and certain other countries.
For full details regarding Advance Passenger Information please click here.
How does BA collect this information from passengers?
The information currently required by the US authorities (and other governments) can be collected by 'swiping' most passports through a reader at check-in.
Because some of the new information cannot be obtained from the passport, collecting this additional information has the potential to make the airport check-in process much longer with a consequent adverse impact on queues.
In preparation for this, British Airways is therefore giving customers a number of options to provide Advance Passenger Information before going to the airport:
- Through ba.com when booking online or when servicing your booking on-line (through the Manage My Booking facility).
You can access Manage My Booking directly if you click here, you will need your six character booking reference.
- Or you can provide Advance Passenger Information through ba.com when checking-in on-line.
BTW checking in on line with BA is I believe not available to passengers travelling with children.
Re food, foodstuffs like chocolate (e.g a flake bar) and biscuits to name but two foodstuffs are okay but you cannot and should not try to bring in any meat, dairy produce or fruit.