The days of queueing to drop off your suitcase at the airport could soon be over as airlines step up attempts to automate the check-in process.
While self check-in has been around for years, airlines are now investing in more do-it-yourself options that could enable travellers to arrive at the airport with their bags already tagged and ready to drop off with no assistance from staff.
Airlines including British Airways are trialling permanent electronic bag tags that would remove the need for a new paper label each time a passenger flies.
Once a traveller checks in online, they would be able to hold their smartphone over the electronic bag tag, which would update with a barcode containing their flight details. This tag could then be quickly scanned at the self-service bag drop before the passenger heads through security.
BA, the British carrier owned by International Airlines Group, plans to launch its digital bag tags next year, after further trials.
"A lot of airlines are experimenting with electronic bag tags. We would like to see the technology become ubiquitous and as cheap as $4 to $5 so that people could buy as many as they want," says Paul Behan, head of passenger experience at IATA, the main trade body for the world's airlines.
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