Starting today, passengers on all Air New Zealand flights can use the airline's app to track their luggage each step of the journey, from check-in to landing.
Baggage status is a free feature that follows in the footsteps of similar functions that have been rolled out by the likes of Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines, United, and American Airlines.
It also makes it easier to report lost luggage if your bags go missing, the airline said, offering an extra layer of reassurance for travellers.
Air NZ trialled the service earlier this year and said more than 8000 people took part, resulting in "overwhelmingly positive feedback".
"Customers in the pilot group have loved the reassurance of tracking their bags in the app and also having quick access to their bag tag numbers for reference," the airline's chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty told Newshub.
"The feature puts updates and information directly into the hands of customers, meaning they can keep track of their luggage and have one less thing to think about when travelling.
"The status of each individual bag is immediately updated in the app after it progresses through scanning points throughout the airport, so your app is always reflecting the last recorded location of your baggage. Instant updates mean customers know exactly where their bag is on its journey and can rest assured it's travelling with them, even when they can't see it."
Baggage status is now available for all Air NZ services and can be accessed via the app on both iOS and Android devices. At this stage it cannot be accessed through the airline's website, even if members are logged in - they must instead use the mobile app.
For passengers heading beyond Air NZ's network, the feature will work on Star Alliance flights with other airlines, so long as the flights are loaded into the Air NZ app.
Luggage tracking features have become popular as the travel industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, with missing bags being one of many modern frustrations for travellers. Tracking devices such as Apple's AirTags have also become popular with travellers.
How to use Air New Zealand's baggage status feature:
- Download the official Air NZ app or update it if you already have it
- When you're at the airport's bag drop area, a physical bag tag is attached to each checked-in item of luggage and scanned
- A 'check status' button will appear on your flight details screen
- Your luggage is then scanned throughout its journey and that baggage status will be updated to tell you where your bag is
- For example, when your bag has been loaded onto the aircraft, the feature will say: "Your bag has been loaded on to flight NZ535 to Christchurch"
- When your bag has arrived at your destination with you, the feature will display: "Your bag has arrived in Christchurch"
- There is also a 'My baggage hasn't arrived' option to select in the app if you have luggage go missing.
