People around the world use Google for a lot of things, from answering burning questions to seeing if a particular restaurant is busy right now. So it’s not terribly shocking that the tech company’s latest innovation involves locating lost pieces of luggage.
This week, Google announced it was adding luggage tracking to its app Find Hub, which is used to find your Google devices like phones, wearables and laptops. Presumably, if you’ve placed an Android-compatible tracker in your checked bag, it will now show up in Find Hub, revealing just how close (or far) that checked bag is from your current location. Google also touted a partnership with Samsonite to have tracking technology built in to some of their suitcases.
Knowing where your lost luggage is is only part of the equation here. The biggest takeaway from the announcement is that a number of airlines are on board with this initiative and will accept Find Hub data in the process of retrieving lost bags. The airlines taking part thus far are Ajet, Air India, China Airlines, the Lufthansa Group, Saudia Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
“By integrating innovative technologies such as Google’s Find Hub, we are delighted to be among the first global carriers to offer passengers enhanced baggage tracking and recovery capabilities, delivering a faster, more seamless and more reassuring experience across our network of over 350 destinations worldwide,” said Turkish Airlines’ Ground Operations Vice President Mehmet Yıldırım in a statement.
It’s interesting to see how many airlines’ positions on tracking devices have shifted in the last five years. It wasn’t long ago that some airlines banned devices like Apple’s AirTags over privacy concerns — which is understandable, given that they can be used for stalking people. As an article at Apple Insider pointed out last year, Lufthansa shifted from banning these devices to supporting their use, presumably because the benefits (including tracking lost luggage) outweigh the concerns.
The reason behind that is also clear: An airline losing a passenger’s bag is very likely to cost them future business and harm their reputation. Speaking from personal experience, a hassle-free experience of finding and returning a lost bag is a good way for an airline to get on an air traveler’s good side. In other words, don’t be surprised if more airlines sign on to this Google initiative.
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