Lug Loc Luggage Locator Review

[markis10]

Thanks to Admin, I have been given a Lug Loc from the Australian Frequent Flyer Store to trial on our trip to Dubai.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/lug...acking?zenid=9fd814175fde0de608bb188d0f99cdcc

I am not sure why I was chosen, perhaps Admin had recently read my posts about my priority baggage working well at Horn Island despite me being in Darwin, or the time I was stupid enough to transit Hong Kong Airport on its first day of operation with checked baggage, the baggage eventually needing a Taiwan three month visa by the time it came home. Or maybe Admin was hoping I would keep in on me, so I could be located when I hopped on the wrong plane and inadvertently ended back up in New York as I have done in the past :shock:. When you travel enough, things are bound to go wrong eventually, some of us just tend to attract more than the fair share of such problems, cest la vie!

So how do you review something you hope not to really use, well lets try?

First step, whats in the box!



You get the device, a wallet card with details of the device id and service centre contact numbers, a mains adapter and a USB charging cord, and one luggage tag.

The device has a rechargeable battery that will last for 12 hours of non movement, and it turns itself off when there is movement. It operates on a global GSM network (like the Kindle 3G) and once turned on, you get a complimentary 30 days of service free of charge. First step - fully charge the unit!

 

[tickthelist]

I think this is a terrific idea so have ordered one today after confirming with the AFF shop I will have it by the end of the week (I leave on Sat for a three week trip). Hopefully I won't need it but if my bag is lost it will likely ease the pain.

 

[Sprucegoose]

What's the deal$$$

There would be a tracking fee as well?

 

[markis10]

What's the deal$$$

There would be a tracking fee as well?

After the first thirty days, its $40 for 6 months, $60 for 12 months service.

 

[admin]

After the first thirty days, its $40 for 6 months, $60 for 12 months service.

Minor correction: The device come with 3 months (not 30 days) Tracking service. Thereafter you can renew directly with LugLoc - $US40 for 6 months, $60 for 12 months.

I was hoping (sic) that markis10 would loose his luggage on the trip, so that we could really test the device. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he didn't. I tested it in early March, but unfortunately also didn't loose my luggage. Its a bit like Insurance - something you don't really want to use. But when you don't use it, you feel cheated!!

The LugLoc which markis10 and I tested has Tracking Service available till about the end of May. It would be a shame to waste it, so I can make it available to AFF Members to test. There will be no cost for this, but I would ask that you review it on this thread. If you are interested (and have been an AFF Member for at least 6 months, with at least 25 posts) and have a trip coming up soon, please send me a PM with your trip details. You will need to cover the postage costs (about $10) for Mark to mail it to you.

 

[tickthelist]

It would be a shame to waste it, so I can make it available to AFF Members to test. There will be no cost for this, but I would ask that you review it on this thread. If you are interested (and have been an AFF Member for at least 6 months, with at least 25 posts) and have a trip coming up soon, please send me a PM with your trip details. You will need to cover the postage costs (about $10) for Mark to mail it to you.

Shame just bought one! If I have cause to activate it, I will report. I might call them up anyway and ask if they will track it for me once even though not lost so I can report back to you, I would be interested to see how it works.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If you were serious in testing it you would have to fly SAA to JNB!!!

 

[QF WP]

Try as we might (QF2 mechanical issue at SYD), we tried to lose markis10's luggage, but Baggage Services were up to the challenge. Who has it now??

 

[markis10]

Try as we might (QF2 mechanical issue at SYD), we tried to lose markis10's luggage, but Baggage Services were up to the challenge. Who has it now??

Its being handed over Thursday!

 

[JohnM]

Its being handed over Thursday!

OK, folks, I'm the bunny .

Leaving PER tonight, final destination Quito, Ecuador for the rest of May doing a short upper Amazon tour then heading to the Galapagos Islands for a 17 day cruise on a 16 passenger 30m boat.

Outbound routing is: PER-xSYD-xAKL-xSCL-xGYE-UIO. Inbound will be UIO-xLIM-xSCL-xSYD-PER.

PER-SCL-PER is a JASA but slightly indirect outbound being QF PER-xSYD-AKL, then picking up the LA bird (that leaves SYD for AKL at the same time as my QF flight to AKL) for the run to SCL - just the way the JASA popped up.

From SCL it's a bought fare on LAN. Flights to Quito go via Guayaquil and I'm guessing it'll be the same bird continuing, which will reduce the luggage transfer risk at GYE.

Anyway, there's enough steps there to make luggage loss a distinct chance and maybe put the LugLoc to the test :shock:.

Mmmm...., thoughts now turning to breakfast in the SYD F lounge in the morning .

 

[JohnM]

QF and LA conspired to thwart LugLoc by not losing my bag.

Will have to see how it goes on the return at the end of the month.

 

[robd]

Perhaps you could put it in a Rolex case or something and send it off to Italy.

 

[JohnM]

Once again, QF and LA rose to the occasion and failed to lose my luggage on the return journey so I am unable to pass a judgement on the effectiveness of LugLoc.

In retrospect, given that the likelihood of luggage being lost is not high, I think we should have asked LugLoc to allow our testers (markis10 and me) to be able to call the LugLoc hotline when we collected our bag at various airports, just to confirm whether it could verify that our bag was at our feet. There is really no other way to effectively test it.

I was reluctant to take matters into my own hands and try this without confirming with admin.

Maybe LugLoc could be persuaded to extend the trial period to allow some other members to do such dummy tests?

Admin or markis10, please PM me to advise where to send the LugLoc.

 

[drewbles]

If the Lug Loc can be gotten to me in the next 36 hours i'm willing to take it for a spin with me on Thursday (NZ/US/Mexico/PR trip) and (hopefully not have to) write a review on it

 

[JohnM]

If the Lug Loc can be gotten to me in the next 36 hours i'm willing to take it for a spin with me on Thursday (NZ/US/Mexico/PR trip) and (hopefully not have to) write a review on it

I believe that the free test period expired on 31 May.

 

[admin]

If the Lug Loc can be gotten to me in the next 36 hours i'm willing to take it for a spin with me on Thursday (NZ/US/Mexico/PR trip) and (hopefully not have to) write a review on it

I believe that the free test period expired on 31 May.

JohnM - Too bad your luggage wasn't lost. Please see my comment below about returning the LugLoc. If drewbles doesn't contact you, please contact me for the address to send it to.

drewbles - JohnM is correct in that the initial 3 months of tracking expired on 31 May. However it can be renewed (via LugLoc | Luggage Locator). Here is the deal: If you can arrange with JohnM to send you the LugLoc by Express Post (you will need to re-imburse him for the postage), AFF will pay for the renewal so you can test it on your trip. Then after your trip, we can use it as a "shared AFF" resource till we hit the jackpot and someone loses their luggage!! PM me when you get it so that I can renew the subscription.

 

[totd]

FWIW, I purchased 2 on spec (Based solely on their availability in the AFF Store). Like others here, VA and NZ were not at all cooperative and completely failed to loose my luggage... Although they have only been subjected to pretty simple routings... so far.

Trips to date: ABX-SYD-AKL, AKL-SYD-ABX (SYD-AKL was a VA codeshare on NZ metal) and ABX-SYD-CBR, CBR-SYD-ABX.

My feedback, however, would be the absence of a web interface (a la Find my iPhone, or similar) is a negative. I'd definitely much rather look up a website myself than ring the call centre. It would permit testing without pestering an operator. Plus there's the cool factor of being able to look up your luggage any time you want. They do mention that the LugLoc periodically phones home (I believe anytime it stops for a reasonable length of time) so presumably the data is already in the LugLoc servers, they just haven't built a pretty interface with a map.

 

[drewbles]

JohnM - Too bad your luggage wasn't lost. Please see my comment below about returning the LugLoc. If drewbles doesn't contact you, please contact me for the address to send it to.

drewbles - JohnM is correct in that the initial 3 months of tracking expired on 31 May. However it can be renewed (via LugLoc | Luggage Locator). Here is the deal: If you can arrange with JohnM to send you the LugLoc by Express Post (you will need to re-imburse him for the postage), AFF will pay for the renewal so you can test it on your trip. Then after your trip, we can use it as a "shared AFF" resource till we hit the jackpot and someone loses their luggage!! PM me when you get it so that I can renew the subscription.

Happy to do that but it may be too late now if it's going via Aus Post (as it's now gone 4pm). It would need to get to Melbourne by tomorrow evening (unless someone in PER is flying to MEL tomorrow and can bring it!).

Damn and I was in PER on the w/end too :S

 

[admin]

Again, a shame your baggage wasn't lost

Regarding your feedback about an iPhone interface. LugLoc are releasing a iPhone App with these features as explained to me by their technical staff:

I will describe to you some of the features that our application will have:

- Login, Forgot your password?, Register new User, modifying profile.
- List of the devices per customer.
- Map display with the last location of the device, battery status, date of last position update and date of last battery update.
- The customer can send LOCATION, BATTERY command to all devices that he have. Every time he want.
- PUSH Notifications for the commands. The application will let you know when the Device responds.

The App was meant to be available at the end of May. Let me chase it up with them...

FWIW, I purchased 2 on spec (Based solely on their availability in the AFF Store). Like others here, VA and NZ were not at all cooperative and completely failed to loose my luggage... Although they have only been subjected to pretty simple routings... so far.

Trips to date: ABX-SYD-AKL, AKL-SYD-ABX (SYD-AKL was a VA codeshare on NZ metal) and ABX-SYD-CBR, CBR-SYD-ABX.

My feedback, however, would be the absence of a web interface (a la Find my iPhone, or similar) is a negative. I'd definitely much rather look up a website myself than ring the call centre. It would permit testing without pestering an operator. Plus there's the cool factor of being able to look up your luggage any time you want. They do mention that the LugLoc periodically phones home (I believe anytime it stops for a reasonable length of time) so presumably the data is already in the LugLoc servers, they just haven't built a pretty interface with a map.

 

[admin]

Following on from my last post, LugLoc have advised me that the App is now available - see https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/lugloc/id647284374?mt=8