After around two years of development, the airline Virgin Australia has launched a new smartphone tool that is intended to enable passengers to track their luggage. This was tested from May 2023 and is now generally rolled out.
Initially, the new service will be available on around two-thirds of the domestic network. It is still largely unavailable on international flights. Passengers should receive notifications about the current location of their suitcases via the carrier's app. One also wants to inform the passengers in this form about the respective output band.
Virgin Australia acknowledges that while this tool can't completely eliminate lost bags, it may be able to ease the mind of nervous passengers. The carrier currently has a loss or misrouting rate of 1,5 per 1.000 passengers.
"We know that the risk of lost luggage is a concern for travelers worldwide, and we believe today's announcement will give many guests peace of mind knowing where their luggage is at every step of the journey." , said Paul Jones, Chief Customer and Digital Officer of the Virgin Australia Group. Competitor Qantas has already announced that a comparable tool will be available in the app by the end of this year.