Never lose your luggage again: Virgin Australia unveils new baggage tracking system feature!
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Virgin Australia has taken a significant step forward in customer service by expanding its innovative luggage tracking service across its entire network.
This move is a first for an Australian airline, and it's set to revolutionise the way passengers travel.
Previously, the technology was only available on select domestic routes, allowing passengers to track their luggage via the airline's smartphone app.
However, Virgin Australia announced on Wednesday, 31 January, that the service is now available on both domestic and international routes, including popular destinations such as Queenstown, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Japan.
The expanded service allows customers to track their baggage from check-in to arrival.
Passengers will receive push notifications when their luggage has been checked in, loaded onto the aircraft, transferred to a connecting carrier, and upon arrival at the destination.
The app will also inform passengers of the baggage carousel for collection at their final destination.
This new 'loaded' feature, which confirms that the baggage has been loaded onto the aircraft, is a unique offering not available with any other Australian airline.
Virgin Australia's Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Paul Jones, explained the rationale behind the expansion.
'Australians find comfort in the ability to track food deliveries, postal deliveries, technology, even their heart rate, all via apps, and it made sense for travellers to be able to do the same thing when flying Virgin Australia,' he said.
‘By further enhancing our Australian-first baggage tracking technology to include all international services and additional notifications, we are giving guests the peace of mind to know where their baggage is at every step of the journey.’
The expansion of the baggage tracking technology is part of Virgin Australia's ongoing commitment to improving the customer experience.
Over the past year, the airline has also launched digital systems and Rapid Rebook—a tool that allows guests to manage their bookings end-to-end in the event of disruption.
'These advancements work to improve the customer experience and complement our consistently low call-wait times,' Jones added.
You can download the Virgin Australia app here.
Virgin Australia's baggage tracking service comes after reports of mishandling luggage is becoming increasingly prevalent in the global aviation industry.
In 2022, when 3.42 billion passengers flew around the world, 26 million bags were misplaced, equating to 7.6 per 1000 passengers. This figure is almost double the rate from 2021, which saw 4.35 bags misplaced for every 1000 travellers.
According to airline IT specialist SITA, which studies the problem in its annual Baggage IT Insights, the increase is due to a sharp rise in demand for air travel combined with staff and resource shortages.
What are your thoughts on this new feature, members? Have you had a chance to use it yet? Share your experiences in the comments below.
This move is a first for an Australian airline, and it's set to revolutionise the way passengers travel.
Previously, the technology was only available on select domestic routes, allowing passengers to track their luggage via the airline's smartphone app.
However, Virgin Australia announced on Wednesday, 31 January, that the service is now available on both domestic and international routes, including popular destinations such as Queenstown, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Japan.
Virgin Australia announced that its baggage tracking feature is now available on both domestic and international routes. Credit: Virgin Australia
The expanded service allows customers to track their baggage from check-in to arrival.
Passengers will receive push notifications when their luggage has been checked in, loaded onto the aircraft, transferred to a connecting carrier, and upon arrival at the destination.
The app will also inform passengers of the baggage carousel for collection at their final destination.
This new 'loaded' feature, which confirms that the baggage has been loaded onto the aircraft, is a unique offering not available with any other Australian airline.
Virgin Australia's Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Paul Jones, explained the rationale behind the expansion.
'Australians find comfort in the ability to track food deliveries, postal deliveries, technology, even their heart rate, all via apps, and it made sense for travellers to be able to do the same thing when flying Virgin Australia,' he said.
‘By further enhancing our Australian-first baggage tracking technology to include all international services and additional notifications, we are giving guests the peace of mind to know where their baggage is at every step of the journey.’
The expansion of the baggage tracking technology is part of Virgin Australia's ongoing commitment to improving the customer experience.
Over the past year, the airline has also launched digital systems and Rapid Rebook—a tool that allows guests to manage their bookings end-to-end in the event of disruption.
'These advancements work to improve the customer experience and complement our consistently low call-wait times,' Jones added.
You can download the Virgin Australia app here.
Virgin Australia's baggage tracking service comes after reports of mishandling luggage is becoming increasingly prevalent in the global aviation industry.
In 2022, when 3.42 billion passengers flew around the world, 26 million bags were misplaced, equating to 7.6 per 1000 passengers. This figure is almost double the rate from 2021, which saw 4.35 bags misplaced for every 1000 travellers.
According to airline IT specialist SITA, which studies the problem in its annual Baggage IT Insights, the increase is due to a sharp rise in demand for air travel combined with staff and resource shortages.
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