There are many cases of different people losing their luggage after going abroad on holiday. While this issue has been going on since the very beginning of commercial flights, there has been an increase since flights have started again after the pandemic. It is believed that this could be directly aligned with the lack of staff. During the pandemic, airports and planes were grounded. This meant that many people were made redundant or decided to leave for another role still in action. Because of the shortness of staff, it has made checking in bags and the collection of bags more manic, leaving more room for mistakes.
The number of passengers reporting missing luggage this summer was 30% higher than in 2019, the last year of normal travel before the pandemic
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 2019 it was estimated that roughly 1.3 million suitcases were lost in the system and never reunited with their owners. With another 30% increase this year, that would make it approximately 1.7 million bags lost. Due to so many people reporting their stuff lost and countless suitcases not flying on the same plane as their owners, people have turned to technology.
AirTags
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
One bit of technology that is well known is Apple’s AirTags. AirTags are little devices that can be placed on different objects and help you track their whereabouts from your phone. These little tracking devices were initially publicized to help find everyday household items such as keys and wallets. They then got expanded where parents would put them on a kid’s rucksack or a keyring so they could keep an eye on their children while they were out. Now their most popular use today is to track luggage. Many people are attaching it to the label, so if the suitcase doesn’t arrive at its desired location, people are able to see where it is in the world and help point the airlines in the right direction to finding it.
There have been many cases where luggage has been flown to a number of different countries for no reason. However, Finbarr Taylor was about to take it a step further and tweeted about his lost luggage because he had attached an AirTag to his bag. Taylor was doing a simple flight from California to Scotland. On the other hand, his suitcase was having an adventure going to Toronto, Canada and Detroit. He managed to find the funny side and started tweeting about the suitcase’s journey saying, “where will it go next? Good luck out there, little bag.”
Since the rapped increase in lost luggage, Apple has reported a rise in their AirTags sales. There are many other tracking devices in use around the world. The significance of the AirTag is it is all done through Bluetooth and different apps.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“The airTag works by sending out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the AirTag’s location to the iCloud, allowing the user to go to the Find My app and see it on a map.”
Although using these AirTags are helpful to different individuals, it does not help everyone and does not stop it from happening.
SeeTrue
Another company that is trying to use technology to help airlines get back on top of all the luggage is SeeTrue. Their aim is to help get luggage through the security checks efficiently and therefore increase the chance of the suitcases being placed on the correct flights with no delay. SeeTrue uses artificial intelligence (AI) and computer algorithms to be able to see inside the bags and check for illegal items in the luggage that are not allowed on the plane. By using this system, it speeds up the process of reviewing the bags and stops the chances of human error from people getting distracted or missing something.
AirPortr
The final company that is using technology to try and solve the luggage issue is the Uk tech firm AirPortr. They are trying to stop people from having to queue up and check in their suitcases/luggage before their flights. AirPortr is available for all British Airways and Swiss international flights between London and Geneva. On the app, you will arrange a time for someone to pick up your luggage either the day before your flight or on the day (with added cost) from your home. By doing so, your bag will be checked in and ready at the airport when you arrive.
However, this app doesn’t stop there. Once you arrive at your destination, someone from the site will collect your luggage for you and then drop it off at the place you are staying. This means you would not have to wait in any queues or stress about finding your luggage as it is someone else’s responsibility. This site aims to take it worldwide and have it available all over. It limits the business surrounding checking in luggage and retrieving bags, leaving less room for error and confusion.
