Alaska Airlines launches e-paper bag tag

Alaska Airlines said last week that it had become the first U.S. airline to launch an electronic bag tag program, allowing travelers to tag their own luggage using the airline's mobile app before they reach the airport.

The Alaska Mileage Plan members will receive an electronic tag, as a result of the airline's announcement.

The elite status members included in the program's first wave have traveled within the last year and checked in at least one bag and were among the first to register to use the tags.

The three-by-five-inch devices are updated with a guest's flight information through the Alaska Airlines mobile app during the check-in process.

Alaska Airlines noted that the tags allow customers to make a beeline to the bag-drop area upon arrival, cutting time spent in airport lobbies by 40%.

The devices don't require charging or batteries and employees tested their durability by running them over with a truck.

Activating the phone is done by touching the phone used for check-in to the bag tag, which has an antenna that powers and reads the information transmitted from the phone. The e-paper bag tag's screen displays the guest's flight information.

Starting in 2023, guests will be able to purchase the electronic bag tag.

It will work on all Alaska Airlines marketed flights operated by Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.

The software for the device is provided by the Dutch company BAGTAG.

Charu Jain, senior vice-president of merchandising and innovation for Alaska, said we tested our electronic bag tags on countless flights across the country, including international routes where Alaska Airlines flies, and the devices have performed exactly as they were meant to. We'll collect feedback from our first wave of users before the devices become available to purchase for all of our guests early next year.