Technology provides solutions to all kinds of problem these days. Check-in for air travelers is one such problem which was relatively unnoticed up until now. According to reports, 29 millions bags were damaged, delayed or lost in 2010. But Australian airline Qantas has the solution. The Airline has created electronic tags that can be easily attached to luggage and monitor its whereabouts and status after check-in.
The “Q-Bag tag” looks like a normal luggage tag, but it can be scanned to retrieve passenger information and the flight destination and the tag can be located anywhere in the world.
The tag contains world-first technology that synchronizes your details on your boarding pass or Qantas card with your baggage.
There's no longer a need to attach a temporary bag tag each time you fly domestically - just drop your bags and go. As the Company’s site says, if you check-in online or with your mobile before you arrive at the airport, you'll be able to go directly to the Bag Drop.
Qantas will begin installing its wireless Q Bag Tag self-service luggage drop system in 21 Australian regional airports this month. The airports are: Albury, Alice Springs, Broome, Cairns, Coffs Harbour, Darwin, Emerald, Gladstone, Hobart, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Launceston, Mackay, Newman, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland, Port Macquarie, Rockhamptom, Tamworth, Townsville and Wagga Wagga.
The rollout follows the introduction of the touch-and-go Q Card readers in all these airports, which is the first stage of Qantas' Next-Generation Checkin system.
Qantas says the electronic baggage drop facilities will be installed in all the regional airports by the end of June.
You can also lend or give one of your wireless Qantas bag tags to a friend or family member.
If you are a silver frequent flyer who has received the silver wireless tags and later reach gold level, you will be sent two new gold bag tags by Qantas, leaving you with two excess silver ones.
You can pass on those two silver bag tags to a family member (even if they are not a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer) and they can use them on their trips. The tags will be associated with their booking when they check in.
With tech innovations like this, it would certainly make losing a bag one less thing to worry about when flying.
