Example of IATA airport code printed on a baggage tag, showing DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport).
Bag tags, also known as baggage tags, baggage checks or luggage tickets, have traditionally been used by bus, train, and airline carriers to route checked luggage to its final destination. The passenger stub is typically handed to the passenger or attached to the ticket envelope:
to aid the passenger in identifying their bag among similar bags at the destination baggage carousel;
as proof—still requested at a few airports—that the passenger is not removing someone else's bag from the baggage reclaim hall; and
as a means for the passenger and carrier to identify and trace a specific bag that has gone astray and was not delivered at the destination. The carriers' liability is restricted to published tariffs and international agreements.
The first "separable coupon ticket" was patented by John Michael Lyons of Moncton, New Brunswick, on June 5, 1882. The ticket showed the issuing station, the destination, and a consecutive number for reference. The lower half of the ticket was given to the passenger, while the upper half, with a hole at the top, was inserted into a brass sleeve and then attached to the baggage by a strap.[1][2]
At some point, reinforced paper tags were introduced. These are designed not to detach as easily as older tags during transport.
Warsaw Convention
The Warsaw Convention of 1929, specifically Article Four, established the criteria for issuing a baggage check or luggage ticket. This agreement also established limit of liability on checked baggage.[citation needed]
Previous bag tags
Prior to the 1990s, airline bag tags consisted of a paper tag attached with a string.
The tag contained basic information:
Airline/carrier name
Flight number
Baggage tag number (composed of the two-letter airline code and six digits)
Destination airport code
These tags became obsolete because they offered little security and were easy to replicate.
Current bag tags
Current bag tags include a bar code using the Interleaved 2 of 5 symbology. These bag tags are printed using a thermal or barcode printer on an adhesive thermal paper stock. This printed strip is then attached to the luggage at check-in, allowing automated sorting of the bags by bar code readers.
There are two ways that bar code baggage tags are read: hand held scanners, and in-line arrays. In-line arrays are built into the baggage conveyor system and use a 360-degree array of lasers or cameras to read the bar code tags from multiple angles because baggage and the orientation of the bar code tag can shift as the bag travels through the conveyor belt system. Camera systems are replacing lasers due to their greater ability to read damaged or folded tags.
One of the limitations of this system is that in order to read bar codes from the bottom of the belt, laser or camera arrays are placed below the gap between two sections of conveyor belt. Due to the frequent build-up of debris and dust on these lower arrays, the rate of successful reads can be low, although the camera systems improve the likelihood of reading tags from this position because of the algorithms used in their software.
Frequently, the "read rate", the percentage of bar code tags successfully read by these arrays, can be as low as 85%. This means that more than one out of ten bar code baggage tags are not successfully read, and these bags are shunted off for manual reading, resulting in extra labor and delay. Systems employing cameras typically have better read rates than those using lasers - up to 99.5% in ideal conditions.
For flights departing from an international airport within the European Union,[3] bag tags are issued with green edges. Passengers are eligible to take these bags through a separate "Blue Channel" (or alternatively the "Green Channel" = "nothing to declare") at Customs if arriving at another EU airport.
Bar codes cannot be automatically scanned without direct sight and undamaged print. Because of reading problems with poorly printed, obscured, crumpled, scored or otherwise damaged bar codes, some airlines have started using radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips embedded in the tags.
British Airways is currently[when?] conducting a trial to test re-usable electronic luggage tags featuring electronic paper technology. The passenger checks in using the British Airways smartphone app, then holds the smartphone close to the tag. The flight details and barcode are transmitted to the tag using NFC technology. Because the tag utilises electronic paper, the battery need only power the tag during the transmission of data.[4]
Fast Travel Global Ltd has developed a re-usable electronic luggage tag product called the eTag.[5][6] This is also electronic paper-based but is not limited to a single airline. The passenger will check in using a supported airline's smartphone app and send the relevant flight information to the tag via Bluetooth Low Energy.
Qantas introduced Q Bag Tags in 2011. Unlike the British Airways tags, they do not feature a screen, which means there is no barcode to scan. This has limited the use of the tags to domestic flights within Australia on the Qantas network. The tags were initially given free of charge to members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program with Silver, Gold or Platinum status. The tags can also be purchased for A$29.95.[7]
Over the last years, there have been numerous of initiatives to develop electronic bag tags, by both independent technology companies as well as some airlines. The main benefits of electronic bag tags include self-control and ease-of-use by passengers, time-saving by skipping queues at the airport, improved read rates compared to printed bag tags and, as electronic bag tags are adopted, significant operational cost reduction for the airlines.
The first company to successfully launch has been Rimowa[8] in a partnership with Lufthansa in March, 2016.[9] The concept of electronic bag tags has been gaining ground following that launch. On January 9, 2018, Lufthansa introduced a new electronic bag tag to their passengers, BAGTAG.[10] BAGTAG[11] is the first fully secure operational electronic bag tag that can be attached to any suitcase and has integrated radio-frequency identification technology.
Identification
The first automated baggage sorting systems were developed in the 1980s by Eastern Air Lines at their Miami International Airport hub. Other airlines soon followed with their own systems, including United Air Lines, TWA, Delta, and American Airlines. None of these systems were interchangeable. In some systems, the bar code was used to represent a three-letter destination airport code, and in others it was a two-digit sorting symbol instructing the system at which pier to deliver the bag.
As a result of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, the airline industry, led by IATA, convened the Baggage Security Working Group (BSWG) to change international standards and require passenger baggage reconciliation. The Chairman of the BSWG, John Vermilye of Eastern Airlines, proposed that the industry adopt the already-proven license plate system.
This concept used a barcode to represent the baggage tag number. At check-in, this number was associated with the passenger details, including flight number, destination, connection information, and even class of service to indicate priority handling.
Working with Allen Davidson of Litton Industries, with whom Eastern had developed the license plate concept, the BSWG adopted this system as the common industry standard for passenger baggage reconciliation. Initially the barcode, or license plate, was used to match baggage with passengers, ensuring that only the baggage of passengers who had actually boarded the flight were carried onto the aircraft. This standard was adopted by IATA Resolution in 1987.[2]
By 1989, the license plate concept was expanded to become the industry standard for automated baggage sorting as well. The barcodes were enlarged to facilitate automated reading. The barcode was shown in two different orientations or in a "T" shape, called the "orthogonal" representation.
The term license plate is the official term used by the IATA, the airlines, and the airports for the ten-digit numeric code on a bag tag issued by a carrier or handling agent at check-in. The license plate is printed on the carrier tag in barcode form and in human-readable form (as defined in Resolution 740 in the IATA Passenger Services Conference Resolutions Manual, published annually by IATA).
The license plate is the index number linking the Baggage Source Message (BSM), sent by a carrier's departure control system, to the airport's baggage handling system. This message (BSM) contains the flight details and passenger information. Each digit in the license plate has a specific meaning. The automated baggage handling system scans the barcodes on the carrier tags and sorts the bags accordingly. Both the license plate number and the BSM are essential for automated sorting of baggage.
The human-readable license plate will have either a two-character or a three-digit IATA carrier code. For example, it may be either "BA728359" or "0125728359." "BA" would be the two-character IATA code for British Airways), and "125" would be the three-digit IATA carrier code. Nevertheless, the barcode will always be the full ten digits.
The first digit in the ten-digit license plate is not part of the carrier code. It can be in the range of zero to nine.
Zero is for interline or online tags, one is for fallback tags, and two is for "rush" tags.
Fallback tags are pre-printed or demand-printed tags for use only by the airport's baggage handling system. These tags are used when there is a problem in communication between the carrier's departure control system and the airport's baggage handling system (as defined in IATA Recommended Practice 1740b).
A "rush" bag is a bag that missed its original flight and is now flying unaccompanied.[12]
The purpose of numbers in the range of three to nine is not defined by the IATA, but they can be used by each carrier for their own specific needs. The first digit is commonly used as a million indicator for the normal six-digit tag number.[13]
Besides the license plate number, the tag also has:
Name of Passenger Identified with the Baggage (Last Name, First Name)
Related Research Articles
Checked baggage is luggage delivered to an airline or train for transportation in the hold of an aircraft, storage on a coach bus or baggage car of a passenger train. Checked baggage is inaccessible to the passenger during the flight or ride, as opposed to carry-on baggage.
Lost luggage is luggage conveyed by a public carrier such as an airline, seafaring cruise ship, shipping company, or railway which fails to arrive at the correct destination with the passenger. In the United States, an average of 1 in 150 people have their checked baggage misdirected or left behind each year.
Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. The airport is located in the industrial area of Western Junction 15 km (9.3 mi) from Launceston city centre. It is Tasmania's second busiest after Hobart Airport; it can also run as a curfew free airport.
In airport terminals, a baggage reclaim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage claim is used at airports in the US and some other airports internationally. Similar systems are also used at train stations served by companies that offer checked bags, such as Amtrak in the United States.
Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip necessities. On the return trip, travelers may have souvenirs and gifts. For some people, luggage and the style thereof is representative of the owner's wealth and status. Luggage is constructed to protect the items during travel either with a hard shell or a durable soft material. Luggage often has internal subdivisions or sections to aid in securing items. Handles are typically provided to facilitate carrying, and some luggage may have wheels and/or telescoping handles or leashes to make moving them easier.
A boarding pass or boarding card is a document provided by an airline during airport check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted area of an airport and to board the airplane for a particular flight. At a minimum, it identifies the passenger, the flight number, the date, and scheduled time for departure. A boarding pass may also indicate details of the perks a passenger is entitled to and is thus presented at the entrance of such facilities to show eligibility.
An electronic ticket is a method of ticket entry, processing, and marketing for companies in the airline, railways and other transport and entertainment industries.
In the airline industry, a baggage handler is a person who loads and unloads baggage, and other cargo for transport via aircraft. With most airlines, the formal job title is "fleet service agent/clerk", though the position is commonly known amongst airline employees as a "ramp agent", due to the job's location on the airport ramp (tarmac).
SITA is a multinational information technology company providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry. The company provides its services to around 400 members and 2,500 customers worldwide, which it claims is about 90% of the world's airline business. Around the world, nearly every passenger flight relies on SITA technology.
The term hand luggage or cabin baggage refers to the type of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry along in the passenger compartment of a vehicle instead of a separate cargo compartment. Passengers are allowed to carry a limited number of smaller bags with them in the vehicle, which typically contain valuables and items needed during the journey. There is normally storage space provided for hand luggage, either under seating, or in overhead lockers. Trains usually have luggage racks above the seats and may also have luggage space between the backs of seats facing opposite directions, or in extra luggage racks, for example, at the ends of the carriage near the doors.
Check-in is the process whereby people announce their arrival at an office, hotel, airport, hospital, seaport or event.
IATA delay codes were created to standardise the reporting by airlines of commercial flight departure delays. Previously, every airline had its own system, which made the sharing and aggregation of flight delay information difficult. IATA standardised the flight delay reporting format by using codes that attribute cause and responsibility for the delay; this supports aviation administration and logistics and helps to define any penalties arising. These codes are used in movement messages sent electronically by SITA from the departure airport to the destination airport and also in the internal administration of the airlines, airports and ground handling agents.
A baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes. A baggage handling system also transports checked baggage coming from airplanes to baggage claims or to an area where the bag can be loaded onto another airplane.
Airport check-in is the process whereby an airline approves airplane passengers to board an airplane for a flight. Airlines typically use service counters found at airports for this process, and the check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline. Passengers usually hand over any baggage that they do not wish or are not allowed to carry in the aircraft's cabin and receive a boarding pass before they can proceed to board their aircraft.
Interlining, also known as interline ticketing and interline booking, is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers traveling on itineraries that require multiple flights on multiple airlines. Such agreements allow passengers to change from one flight on one airline to another flight on another airline without having to gather their bags or check-in again. Airlines can also promise free rebooking if the connection is lost due to a delay.
An airline ticket is a document or electronic record, issued by an airline or a travel agency, that confirms that an individual is entitled to a seat on a flight on an aircraft. The airline ticket may be one of two types: a paper ticket, which comprises coupons or vouchers; and an electronic ticket.
On the commercial transportation, mostly with airlines, the baggage allowance is the amount of checked baggage or hand/carry-on luggage the company will allow per passenger. There may be limits on the amount that is allowed free of charge, and hard limits on the amount that is allowed.
WorldTracer is a SITA / IATA service provided for the tracking of lost or delayed baggage. It has been in operation for many years and is used by all airlines that are members of IATA. Most of the low-cost carriers that are based in Europe such as Norwegian Air Shuttle, Wizz Air also use WorldTracer.
Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 is an airport terminal at Dubai International Airport serving Dubai, UAE. When completed and opened on 14 October 2008, it was the largest building in the world by floor area and is currently the world's largest airport terminal, with over 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 sq ft) of space. The partly underground Terminal 3 was built at a cost of US$4.5 billion, exclusively for Emirates and has a capacity of 43 million passengers. However, it was announced on 6 September 2012 that Terminal 3 would no longer be Emirates exclusive, as Emirates and Qantas had set up an extensive code sharing agreement. Qantas would be the second and only one of two airlines to fly in and out of Terminal 3. This deal also allows Qantas to use the A380 Dedicated Concourse A. The terminal has 5 Airbus A380 gates at Concourse B, and 18 at Concourse A.. In December 2018, flydubai commenced flights from Terminal 3 to selected destinations to facilitate transfers to/from Emirates. As of 6 March 2023, coinciding with the launch of inaugural non-stop services from Newark as well as a partnership with Emirates, United Airlines began operating out of Terminal 3, becoming the third carrier to do so. On July 26, 2023, Air Canada shifted their service from Toronto-Pearson over from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 as part of their extensive partnership with Emirates, becoming the fourth carrier to operate out of the terminal.
A baggage sizer, also known as a bag sizer, is a piece of furniture that is used primarily at airport check-in desks and boarding gates to assist and inform passengers and airport ground staff of baggage size limits for personal and cabin luggage or bags.
↑ IATA Passenger Services Conference Resolutions ManualArchived February 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (PSCRM), 33rd Edition, Resolution 740, Secrion 5.1.2; however, this source does not reference how airlines commonly use that digit. It only states that values three through nine are for "interline and on-line use".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
