We're all about to get a little luckier in the Russian roulette that is the airport baggage claim. New tracking tech arriving this year will keep tabs on luggage, no matter where an airline sends it.
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FastTrack Company, based in Amsterdam and London, is coming out with tech that lets passengers — and airlines — track luggage from start to finish. FastTrack's eTag will replace the current airline luggage sticker while its packable eTrack will serve as a geolocating device, Elise Hu reported on NPR.com.
FastTrack's eTag and eTrack work together or separately using Bluetooth. The eTrack uses GSM to track the bag's position. Customers can access location info through a smartphone app while airlines will be able to access the data through their system. "f a bag is misplaced or shows up on the wrong aircraft, the airline can get to it," Hu wrote.
Passengers with an eTag can skip the bag check line and just put their luggage at a fast drop, Hu reported. Air France and KLM are planning to offer the tech first, and FastTrack is in discussions to connect other airlines to its system.
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Air France and KLM passengers will be able to pre-order the devices soon, although pricing details aren't available yet. The company plans to begin releasing the tech to a select group of travelers in December before doing a wider roll-out. Anyone traveling around the holidays knows that will be the ultimate test for this.
Photo: FastTrack's eTag and eTrack device keep tabs on your bags. Credit:
Source : http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/skip-baggage-check-in-with-this-e-tag-140416.htm
