Two years ago, Alaska Airlines announced permanent tags for your checked bags – no more need to print paper bag tags at the airport. They had been testing this since at least 2016.
They distributed these tags to 2,500 Mileage Plan elite members. Since then, they’ve improved the straps that affix them to luggage and made the instructions clearer, because the whole idea is self-service and a smooth process.
Now these tags are finally for sale and they cost $89, which is a little higher than what I was expecting.
With Alaska eliminating check-in kiosks and telling customers to print their bag tags at home, these would be a great step towards the future – if they could get the cost down (or subsidize them for regular flyers).
I’d then love to see Alaska Million Mile bag tags that are permanent checked bag tags, like these!
As a regular Alaska flyer – a hub-captive earning MVP Gold 75K or above, regularly checking bags – I’d probably splurge on this because the incremental time-savings on each trip would be multiplied out by enough trips to make the cost well worth it, the same way we pay for other conveniences. But it’s probably not for the casual Alaska flyer, or the carry-on only passenger.
Qantas introduced the ‘Q Bag Tag’ in 2011. Yet we haven’t had it in the United States until now. It’s about time!
I don’t fly Alaska Airlines, but I’d like to see it on United and Air Canada.
Yeah, I’d spring for this on Delta and AA.
Since frequent flyer programs are no longer attractive, I am becoming a value shopper and fly many airlines. I can’t see buying a dedicated permanent tag for each. For now, I would also avoid an airline that forces me to print my own tags at home. Other than that, I will see how the industry evolves.
I believe Swiss has something like this when flying through Europe.
How is this not a nightmare? I would have to think there are flyers that have no clue and still think they can show up at the airport and have an agent print the tag and check their bag. Particularly if they’re an Infrequent Flyer and are paying for a bag?
How do you affixe a home printed bag tag? Scotch tape?
So airlines save money on check in agents by making the customer do the work. Oh and if you want to avoid some of the work that we the airlines are thrusting on you, that would be 89 bucks. Correct me if I’m getting this wrong.
And the fact that the people are ready to pay up for this, if they really are not bots and real customers, essentially means that these consumers deserve to be taken for a ride by big corporations
How about a baggage tag that is valid across all North American airlines???
Better yet, waiting for AirTags (or something similar) to become the default standard for baggage identification.
Qantas has had the permanent tags for awhile, as you say, Gary. They are currently being phased OUT because they are unreliable and not pervasive enough for the old tech printing bag tags to be put to bed.
They are being replaced by rather stunning and more streamlined tags. These tags are only useful as brand (and elite status) ambassadors to be hung on cabin bags. They are for show and serve no other functional purpose e.g replacement of swing tags on check-in bags
This is like Self check out at the Market.
I tag my Luggage
I code my luggage
I pay for the tag
Airline does nothing and I save nothing.
Then when the baggage guy rips off the tag I have to pay $89 for a new one?
I have some land in the Everglades for sale 🙂
Just great for travelers who are hotel based when check-in opens. Waste time at the hotel and possibly pay to get it printed.
Tim Dunn already has Delta’s tattooed on several parts of his body
Bag tag. com* – the manufacturers of the exact device shown sell them for $5 less than Alaska are selling them( before any black Friday deals turn up). there’s also another cheaper version that does the same just with a different clasp. So they’re either taking a cut themselves and/or overcharging for the product.
If they want to encourage uptake of it’s use then nothing will ruin that more than a company being seen to rip off customers & lining it’s own pockets. The profiteering also, imho, rubbishes any BS ‘green’ claims they might like to roll out.
I’d also question their “First US airline” claim. As this is a 3rd party product it’s usage data & criteria needs to be based on the manufacturers not anything Alaska claims. Said product is reasonably well ( multi year) established & has global application in real world usage data sets. I got one of these several years back as a gift & used it without issue on AA flights both connecting internationally BA-AA & on AA itineraries domestically back when they were pretty new to market & mostly unheard of by check-in agents. I simply mentioned I already had a tag attached to my case and aside from some fascination about what it was & them scanning the thing to be impressed that it worked 1st time/ didn’t create any system conflict its always been no different to the agent printing one off.
My honest, real world usage, view of them is kinda meh tbh. Where & who you can use them with does seem to be increasing at a much better rate but them not being usable is still an issue more often than you’d want so them being a gimmick to a degree is definitely a factor.
Whatever one’s feelings about potentially switching to using them clearly consumers should take the 5 seconds required to buy them for the market price not an inflated cost that simply lines Alaska Airlines own pockets
* Link obfuscated intentionally as not sure if fine with posting them
** Not affiliated with the folks who make them in any way for clarity’s sake