Delta: Fliers can now track their bags on a map

Delta Air Lines customers can now follow their luggage via a map during their trips.

The airline’s app had previously allowed fliers to get updates on where their bags were last scanned, but Delta has now updated the capability to show a bag’s real-time location on a map.

The upgrade comes as Delta is moving to so-called “Radio Frequency Identification” (RFID) tags for checked luggage. The tags allow real-time luggage tracking using radio waves and eliminate the need for hand-held scans. Delta announced the move to RFID with great fanfare earlier this year, saying the $50 million effort would drop incidences of lost luggage to miniscule numbers.

Now, with the rollout of RFID tags and tracking technology, Delta has added the map capability.

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“We’re the first carrier to offer this level of visibility,” Bill Lentsch, Delta’s SVP – Airline Operations and Airport Customer Service, says in a statement. “From the moment our customers drop off their bag, we want them to know we’re looking out for it every step of the way and working to take the stress out of flying one innovation at a time.”

MORE: Delta leads quest to end lost airline luggage

As for what fliers will see on the new map functionality, Delta says:

“(T)he display starts by showing a zoomed out map of the U.S. as the bag travels from one airport to the next. The map then automatically zooms to airport view and users can follow their bag along its journey via pins, with the last known location identified by a suitcase icon. Tapping any of the pins or the icon will provide additional text information about the location of the bag.”

Push notifications will be added “later this year,” allowing fliers to get real-time alerts on their devices.

“We listen to our customers and know they want a simplified mobile experience that puts the control back in their hands,” adds Rhonda Crawford, VP – Global Distribution & Digital Strategy. “Fly Delta 4.0 automatically updates when your flight details change, keeping customers informed.”

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