Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch electronic bag tag program

Re:Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch elec... by anakaine on Thursday July 21, 2022 @06:15AM (#32177579)

It's crazy to me that this is the first US airline to get such a thing. The Australian airline QANTAS has had this since 2011. Not just that, but you walk in to the terminal, check yourself in on a machine, tell the machine if you want a printed tag or have an electronic tag, then go sling your bag into a pod that has a conveyor + scale in the bottom, a bunch of laser scanners and a tag reader. The bag is weighed and checked in quickly, and at no point do you need to see a counter person to check in.

The main airport I use has about 20 of the scanners, and they also have been running well for 10+ years. There are other, larger airports with more of them.

Your luggage is tracked end to end.

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Re:Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch elec... by feet on Thursday July 21, 2022 @06:40AM (#32177743)

See deploying it would cost money and that cuts into the airlines' profits

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Re:Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch elec... by ThePowerOfFuet on Thursday July 21, 2022 @06:47AM (#32177794)

Perhaps upfront, but reducing headcount due to automation of their workload saves more in the long run.

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Re:Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch elec... by feet on Thursday July 21, 2022 @07:43AM (#32178201)

That's long term thinking. We don't do that here in the US. Short term only, baby!

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