If you're into technology or frequent travel, you might have picked up a few Apple AirTags or comparable luggage tracking devices. While these are undoubtedly helpful in ensuring your bags make it to the destination (and don't end up on a different continent), airlines have offered a similar feature for years now. Indeed, luggage tracking is integrated into several airline travel apps, giving added peace of mind on trips.

The US big three

United, American, and Delta Air Lines all integrate baggage tracking into their mobile apps. However, the feature is far from new, dating back to 2011 for Delta and the next few years for the other two. The system works easily, adding the bags to your reservation when you drop them off at the counter and updating them every time the tag is scanned.

Having used American's service several times, I can attest that the service will let you know when your bag is loaded and unloaded at each airport as well as when it reaches the carousel safely. With an AirTag thrown into the mix, it's a handy tool and an extra layer to make sure you and your bags both reach.

Indeed, last summer saw hundreds of passengers see their bags to, from, and through the US lost for weeks with little in the way of information. Some were found in countries that weren't even served, as one passenger flying between the UK and US found theirs in Hamburg, Germany. In these times, every piece of information is useful.

Notably, all the airlines warn that coverage doesn't extend to all airports and partner airlines. So while coverage is excellent within the US, it can be less reliable or even absent abroad.

Fewer examples outside

Outside the US, there are fewer examples of airlines going out of their way to notify passengers of the status of their checked bags. In 2020, Korean Air rolled out a feature for flights departing from its hub Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN), which would confirm that a passenger's bags were successfully loaded onto the flight. Expect a notification from the app like, "Your bag KE123456 has been loaded on flight KE082 bound for New York (JFK)." The service is yet to be expanded to arriving flights to ICN or other foreign airports but is a good start for carriers in the region.

Photo: Soos Jozsef / Shutterstock

According to Business Traveller, China Eastern offers a similar service on select domestic routes in the country since 2019. The app is integrated into WeChat and allows for real-time updates throughout the journey. Singapore's Changi Airport is looking to add a similar feature for flights in and out of the Asian mega hub. Known as iChangi Baggage Tracker, the service went into testing in December 2022 and will be rolled out in the future to all flights.

Given the baggage crisis in London Heathrow and airports across Europe last summer, it is very disappointing to see a lack of such features. However, these airlines have historically lagged behind in IT development and hopefully will make headway in the coming years.

Global integration?

While airlines offering a tracking service is great, the ideal solution would be a global network for all airlines and airports to use. This is what IATA's Bagjourney service hopes to answer, allowing passengers to track their bags at airports and on flights around the world, including when they are being repatriated to their owners. Carriers like Etihad have signed up for the service, but it is yet to hit a mass scale.

Until it does, be sure to slip an AirTag into your checked luggage to keep an eye on where it is on your journey and beyond!

What do you think about real-time luggage tracking? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Business Traveller