App tracks checked airline luggage on map

The Fly Delta app’s latest upgrade now lets passengers see their bag’s last scanned location, as well as follow the full journey of the luggage.

Delta Airlines pioneered the widespread use of radio frequency identification (RFID) luggage tags. Now linked to the Fly Delta app, each RFID scan of a bag is viewable by passengers on a map. From a big picture of the bag’s full journey to detailed information on each scan location, time and date, the app provides passengers with more information than ever before.

Currently available for continental flights in the United States, the app will be further expanded to include the airline’s international hubs. Functionality already includes check-in capability and air mile tracking.

With billions of miles flown by passengers each year, airlines are continually trying to make complex processes easier, for both passengers and staff. In Switzerland, a robot helps passengers check in more quickly, and one luggage manufacturer uses e-tags that are connected to a boarding pass. What other aspects of air travel could incorporate bespoke preferences?