Lost bags are a nightmare for airlines and for passengers. The latest high-tech way to prevent missing bags is a digital bag tag passengers can activate before reaching the airport.
Alaska Airlines is the first U.S. airline to launch such an electronic bag tag program, which lets passengers tag their luggage on the airline’s mobile app during mobile check-in up to 24 hours ahead of the flight.
The new feature is expected to be a massive timesaver, reducing bag check lines at the airport by as much as 40 percent.
Right now the do-it-yourself digital bag tags are only for 2,500 members of the Alaska Mileage Plan who have traveled in the last 12 months and checked in at least one bag, for domestic travel only.
The plan is to extend the program in 2023 to all passengers on all Alaska Airlines flights and also on partners Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.
But there’s a catch – several of them – it’s not free.
It costs $70 and works only with the airline’s mobile app and with current model smartphones, including the iPhone 6 or later and the Samsung A51 or later with Bluetooth and near-field communication capability.
But it allows you to skip the bag check line and go directly to the bag drop, so depending on how often you travel, it could be worth the price. Much like paying for TSA Pre-Check to skip the longer security lines.
How the Alaska Airline Digital Bag Tag Works –
You’ll need to purchase it far enough ahead of your flight so it can be shipped to you.
You attach the device is attached to your bag using an industrial-strength plastic zip tie, which means you can cut it off to use another time on another bag.
The airline recommends placing an identification tag inside your suitcase just in case the device were to fall off – but that’s something you should do each and every bag you check on any airline you fly. Just in case.
After attaching the device to your bag, you can activate it starting 24 hours before your flight during the check-in process on Alaska’s mobile app. The digital bag tag is updated with your flight information during check-in.
You also need to qualify for complimentary checked bags in order to use the electonic bag tags. This includes those with Alaska’s cobranded credit cards, Mileage Plan and Oneworld elites, Club 49 members and first-class travelers.
According to The Points Guy, Alaska plans to remove those restrictions in the coming months as it rolls out the technology more broadly.
After completing mobile check-in, the digital bag tag device syncs with your phone through it’s built-in antenna, which powers and reads the information transmitted from the mobile app. The device’s e-paper screen will then update and display your new flight information.
At the bag drop area, you just present your government-issued ID and your bag is on its way.
As for the bag tag itself, it doesn’t require charging or batteries, and it can withstand being run over a luggage cart — Alaska’s team successfully tested its durability by running over it with a truck.
Software for the device is provided by BAGTAG, a Dutch firm that is pioneering baggage technology solutions.
Executive Statements
“The last thing our guests want to do is stand in line,” said Charu Jain, senior vice president of merchandising and innovation for Alaska Air said in a press release. “With the addition of the Alaska Airlines electronic bag tag, our guests can complete almost all of their check-in tasks—from the comfort of their home, at work or on the way to catching their flight.”
“We’ve tested our electronic bag tags on countless flights across the country, including international routes where Alaska Airlines flies, and the devices have performed exactly as they’re meant to,” said Jain. “We’ll collect feedback from our first wave of users before the devices become available to purchase to all our guests early next year.”
For more information, visit www.alaskaair.com.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as 1st VP of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA) and is a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
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