Passengers flying Qatar Airways planes have been allowed to transfer their flight data to a reusable electronic tag attached to their luggage.
The tag can be attached to the baggage that passengers have checked in through the airline’s mobile app by tapping on their smartphone with NFC technology.
After updating the flight information on the programmable luggage tag without a battery, users can scan the device at the self-service personal items collection point or the check-in desk without having to print out a paper tag and attach it to bags and suitcases before sending it for loading.
A reusable electronic device with functional electronic paper can be easily prepared and attached to luggage by travelers at home. This is reported by the Dutch technology supplier Bagtag.
After checking in for a flight via the Qatar Airways mobile app, passengers can start applying digital markings to their bags. After that, the luggage can be checked in at one of the designated places at the airport.
This solution eliminates the need to go through the check-in procedure at the airport. It is this circumstance that is one of the most sensitive and sometimes one of the most unpleasant for airline passengers.
Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to introduce NFC tags for bags.
The carrier also uses support for Bagtag devices sold by other airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM, China Southern, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Swiss, and Alaska Airlines.
Alaska Airlines announced its intention to introduce electronic tags for NFC bags in July last year. The company said travelers can activate devices from anywhere 24 hours before departure using a mobile app. The carrier also claimed that the electronic labeling program would reduce the time of delivery of checked baggage by almost 40%.
As we have reported earlier, Qatar National Bank Launches Contactless Biometric Payments.