Virgin Australia introduces baggage tracking (selected routes)

[Quickstatus]

Apple Airtags will be more reliable.

It will not say if the baggage has been loaded onto your aircraft

 

[here2go]

I wish Virgin would get Bagtags. It would make the Qantas RFID discs arcane in comparison.

 

[TheInsider]

I wish Virgin would get Bagtags. It would make the Qantas RFID discs arcane in comparison.

Huh? Do you mean the electronic version of a literal paper bag tag like this: Would You Spend £80 to Put a Bag Tag On Your Check-In Luggage? That's What BA is Proposing...
Don't know how that would be an advancement of a free airline RFID tag.

 

[here2go]

Huh? Do you mean the electronic version of a literal paper bag tag like this: Would You Spend £80 to Put a Bag Tag On Your Check-In Luggage? That's What BA is Proposing...
Don't know how that would be an advancement of a free airline RFID tag.

Different model to BA. If these are handed out like lollies the same way Qantas did to VIPs, not only would there be savings on expensive non recyclable labels, but theoretically tracking would be more reliable, especially if there is rfid tracking. Win win.

 

[MattA]

I expect my Apple Airtags will be more reliable.

Absolutely.

First time on a flight with the new baggage tracking feature last night and it’s… not great.

So:

Got a notification in app after OLCI telling me my flight was eligible for the new feature (although the message also said it’s “only on flights between SYD and BNE”, which is very confusing since I was flying MEL-SYD).

Travelling with one case and also an umbrella-style folding stroller.

Checked the tracking in the app just before boarding and it said this:



Second one is the stroller, I assumed no details because we were taking it up to the gate.

Huge delays yesterday in and out of SYD, so we were over an hour late taking off and had an extra hour in-flight in a holding pattern.



On arrival, the case (with airtag) was already doing loops of the carousel when we got there, but no stroller. No airtag on the stroller, so I checked the app at this point and the tracking thing has disappeard, and now just says “how did we do?”



Yeah well not great because this is kind of when I want to know where my bag is…

Baggage services eventually able to confirm it’s been put on a later flight and they’ll courier it to our hotel. Now mid morning the following day and no sign yet. I wonder if we’ll see it again before we leave SYD…

It would have been helpful if the app had told me that it wasn’t even on our flight as I could have gone straight to baggage services instead of waiting around at the carousel and oversize with a couple of very tired kids to see if it would appear.

So yeah, won’t be ditching the airtags any time soon.

 

[RooFlyer]

It will not say if the baggage has been loaded onto your aircraft

Almost. It'll tell you if the bag is at least in the vicinity of the aircraft when you take your seat. As opposed to - in the terminal somewhere or at left behind at another airport

 

[MattA]

Almost. It'll tell you if the bag is at least in the vicinity of the aircraft when you take your seat. As opposed to - in the terminal somewhere or at left behind at another airport

Exactly.

And of course there’s seeing that the bags are definitely in the same airport as you when you turn on your phone on arrival. In my recent example if I’d had a tag on the stroller I’d have been able to go straight to baggage services and skip all the waiting around.

Just my luck that the only missing baggage experience I’ve had since using airtags is the one item i’ve checked in without an airtag on it.

In happier news, we were reunited with our stroller this afternoon.

 

[AIRwin]

Baggage tracking

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Interesting tidbit... Boarding SYD-OOL Friday and was asked to gate check my bag. Didn't even consider the fact Virgin had bag tracking now until I got a message saying my bag had arrived on the carousel. 5 seconds later we spotted it and collected. Fairly impressed!

 

[OZDUCK]

Seems a bit strange that it is currently not available on flights originating in Hobart or Perth.

 

[AIRwin]

Seems a bit strange that it is currently not available on flights originating in Hobart or Perth.

Or arriving in PER

 

[jakeseven7]

Seems a bit strange that it is currently not available on flights originating in Hobart or Perth.

Perth Airport wanted to charge $$$ for the pleasure no doubt, following their form on everything….

 

[Must...Fly!]

Perth Airport wanted to charge $$$ for the pleasure no doubt, following their form on everything….

Probably more to do with the distance, mixed terminal and outsourced ground operation

 

[jakeseven7]

Probably more to do with the distance, mixed terminal and outsourced ground operation

VA2 outsource other airports, operate from mixed terminals almost everywhere… but I guess you are right, WA means wait awhile for lots of things, just add this to the list

 

[Must...Fly!]

VA2 outsource other airports, operate from mixed terminals almost everywhere… but I guess you are right, WA means wait awhile for lots of things, just add this to the list

Not operating from mixed terminals but the T1/T2 split could make it a bit difficult to deal with transit bags etc. Plus there's probably other issues going on there anyway...

 

[jakeseven7]

Plus there's probably other issues going on there anyway...

Oh, for sure (understatement)

 

[bcworld]

Can anyone confirm that this system still doesn't tell you the bag was loaded onto the aircraft? As far as I can tell there are 2 events:

1. Bag checked in at XYZ (here's your receipt number)
2. Bag on carousel X

Maybe on connecting flights there is more info??

 

[mke_flyer]

Can anyone confirm that this system still doesn't tell you the bag was loaded onto the aircraft? As far as I can tell there are 2 events:

1. Bag checked in at XYZ (here's your receipt number)
2. Bag on carousel X

Maybe on connecting flights there is more info??

That’s correct in my experience, and probably my biggest gripe with it.

I have an airtag in my luggage so can usually tell if it’s in or around the aircraft, but my biggest piece of feedback is to know when my bag gets loaded into the aircraft.

 

[bcworld]

I have an airtag in my luggage so can usually tell if it’s in or around the aircraft, but my biggest piece of feedback is to know when my bag gets loaded into the aircraft.

To be fair....I flew SQ IST-SIN-MEL recently.

I was sitting in the lounge at IST and I had a notification that my bag was loaded onto SQ207 SIN-MEL...that was a clever trick!

 

[oz_mark]

Perth Airport wanted to charge $$$ for the pleasure no doubt, following their form on everything….

I would have thought that the info that the app displays was pretty much what they already knew, but just didn't display anywhere. I wonder what they have had to add at all the airports to enable this?