As regular readers know, Alaska Airlines is my preferred airline. The reason for this is a combination of service, value, and convenience. That last aspect is about to get even better as Alaska Air is launching electronic bag tags!
For years now, Alaska Air has allowed passengers to print their own bag tags at home. They even give you free tag holders to facilitate this system. I love taking advantage of it, as it lets me skip the self-serve kiosks at the airport. Instead, I can head straight to the bag drop line, saving me a few minutes. However, the problem with this system is that I can’t always print my tag when I’m on the road. Thankfully, that issue will soon be a thing of the past.
Alaska Air is Launching Electronic Bag Tags
No, I’m sure many of you have questions about how this electronic bag tag works. It turns out Alaska is partnering with Dutch company BAGTAG to supply e-paper bag tags. Those of you that had a Pebble watch or have the older style black and white Kindle are probably familiar with e-paper. This display technology uses no power and is clearly legible in broad daylight. The only power it needs is to change what it’s displaying. According to Alaska, to update the tag, all you need to do is hold the phone you used to check in for your flight up to it. Your phone will transmit the relevant information AND power the tag wirelessly via NFC.
So when can we expect to see these roll out? Alaska states that they’ll begin releasing them later this year. However, I’m assuming they won’t be free like the plastic holders they provide today. BAGTAG lists a similar product – FLEX – on their website for €66, which is about $66 at today’s exchange rate. That’s a bit steep for a bag tag, though I think the convenience is worth it. My only concerns are whether the thing will get damaged.
Alaska Air is Launching Electronic Bag Tags, Final Thoughts
I think that it’s great that Alaska Air is launching electronic bag tags. In fact, I say it’s about time! This technology has been around for quite a while, so I’m glad to see it getting more innovative uses. That said, Alaska Air isn’t the first airline to offer these tags. They may be the first in the U.S. to do so, but BAGTAG lists the following airlines as being compatible: Air Dolomiti, Austrian, China Southern, KLM, Lufthansa, and Swiss.