Do you like to stand in a line at the airport check-in? Exactly, no one likes to do that! Not only is it frustrating, but it is also time that is being wasted; time that you could be relaxing or enjoying. That is where British Airways comes in with its signing up for ViewTags.
ViewTags are reusable electronic baggage tags that can be attached to your luggage before you get to the airport. The idea for ViewTags was conceived by the company CEO Rick Warther while he was stuck in a long queue back in 2010. Research and development quickly followed, and Qatar Airways Group was the very first airline to carry out testing of the technology last year.
The ViewTag has gained approval by the International Air Transport Association and comes with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Bluetooth LE, and a digital display to display the flight information that can generally be found on the paper tag that is attached to the luggage by airport staff during the check-in.
The passenger transfers flight information to the reusable luggage tag using a smartphone app before leaving for the airport. The idea is to avoid the check-in lines and have the tagged luggage simply dropped at a drop-off point. According to Warther, ‘By allowing passengers to transfer their information digitally before they arrive at the airport, check-in is reduced to a matter of seconds.’
The company has also said that the technology employed enables travelers to be able to keep track of their luggage at all times during the baggage handling process, thus reducing the chances of mishandling. British Airways is selling the renamed TAG to members for a price of £63 which is scheduled to go up to £80 in October. Each TAG can be reused for a total of 3,000 times and can be used in a total of 63 countries as of now, including Spain, the US, Canada, and other EU countries.
