Familiar to anyone? Perhaps we could change this scene?
On a recent flight, I was getting myself situated in my seat, while boarding continued around me. I had boarded in Group 1 (thank you Star Gold) and was waiting for the other people in my row to join me. It was about halfway through the boarding process of the fully sold-out flight that I saw something that shocked me. A passenger was carrying a giant hiking pack through the aisle, heading for their seat. I was blown away that this giant backpack somehow made it past the gate agents and on-board the aircraft. Surely this person was not seriously thinking that a giant backpack like that would pass as ’œcarry on.’ But sadly, it had.
Do you know where your bag is at? If you are on Delta, you can know. Photo by Kenny Ganz.
Earlier this year Delta Air Lines started experimenting with being able to track your checked bags via the internet. Although you could check the status of your bag using a browser on your smart phone, it wasn’t the best. Now, Delta has expanded the capability to use their app to check on your bag.
Once you enter your bag’s code (with the iPhone you can scan it) you are able to watch it board your plane and find out what carousel it will show up on after you land. Or you might also be able to watch as it goes to Hawaii as you fly to Ohio. Even though that would be a negative experience overall, at least, it allows you to plan ahead of time. You won’t have to stand at baggage claim for an hour waiting for your bag, just to find out that it did not make it. You can go straight from your flight to a customer service representative.
’œDelta’s baggage tracking feature on our mobile applications is part of our ongoing investment in technology to bring greater convenience to the travel experience, said Bob Kupbens, Delta’s vice president ’“ eCommerce. ’œWe’ve added features that help put our customer’s minds at ease, simplify their journey and put them in control.’
Currently, the bag tracking is available on the iPhone and Android. Apps for Windows and Blackberry phones will be coming online in the next few weeks.
So, with many of your traveling has anyone been able to try out this service yet?
Learn more and see a video on Delta’s blog.
Photo taken when I put Alaska's guarantee to the test!
Airline fees are not very unique anymore. It takes a bit more than a fee change or new fee to motivate me enough to write a blog on it (like charging for carry-ons). Why does Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air get a blog on fees?
Not because they are raising some fees (1st checked bag from $15 to $20) or that they are lowering others (2nd checked back from $25 to $20, 3rd from $50 to $20), but because they are making their from plane-to-you bag guarantee even better.
Previously if you checked a bag with Alaska or Horizon, they guaranteed your bag would reach the baggage carousel 25 minutes or less from the time your airplane made it to the jetway. Now that they are raising the prices for some passengers, they are improving the guarantee to only 20 minutes.
If your bag doesn’t make it in 20minutes, you can either get $20 off your next flight or 2000 miles (I vote take the miles). A while back I put their guarantee to the test on a flight from Seattle to Phoenix and my bag made it in just over 15 minutes.
Yea, fees are annoying, but they aren’t going away. At least one airline gives you something extra with your baggage fees!
connect | web | twitter | facebook |
