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BA testing luggage tags made of electronic paper | BA testing luggage tags made of electronic paper |
(about 1 hour later) | |
British Airways has announced plans to test reusable luggage tags made from electronic paper. | British Airways has announced plans to test reusable luggage tags made from electronic paper. |
Flight information can be transmitted to the tag via the ticket holder's smartphone, using data from the airline app stored after digital check-in. | Flight information can be transmitted to the tag via the ticket holder's smartphone, using data from the airline app stored after digital check-in. |
Currently operators print off individual paper tags for every bag checked in before each flight. | Currently operators print off individual paper tags for every bag checked in before each flight. |
The electronic tags are to be tested by staff before being made available to some passengers later in the year. | The electronic tags are to be tested by staff before being made available to some passengers later in the year. |
If these tests are successful, the tags will launch in 2014. | If these tests are successful, the tags will launch in 2014. |
Despite various changes to try to speed up airport check-in procedures, the process of dropping off luggage had remained time consuming, a British Airways representative told the BBC. | Despite various changes to try to speed up airport check-in procedures, the process of dropping off luggage had remained time consuming, a British Airways representative told the BBC. |
"The old security questions such as, 'Did you pack your bag yourself?' are no longer a legal requirement, but the idea of queuing to check in your bag has never gone away," he said. | "The old security questions such as, 'Did you pack your bag yourself?' are no longer a legal requirement, but the idea of queuing to check in your bag has never gone away," he said. |
"The e-tag still involves going to a desk, but you literally just drop your bag off and someone has a scanner." | "The e-tag still involves going to a desk, but you literally just drop your bag off and someone has a scanner." |
Customers at some airports can now print out their own luggage tags at kiosks, but that still requires more time - and paper - than scanning information direct from a phone, although it is considerably cheaper for the airline. | Customers at some airports can now print out their own luggage tags at kiosks, but that still requires more time - and paper - than scanning information direct from a phone, although it is considerably cheaper for the airline. |
"[The e-tag] is more expensive, but ultimately it is re-usable - you would acquire and use it multiple times," said Lewis Freeman, an industrial designer from Designworks, which worked on the electronic tag casing. | "[The e-tag] is more expensive, but ultimately it is re-usable - you would acquire and use it multiple times," said Lewis Freeman, an industrial designer from Designworks, which worked on the electronic tag casing. |
"The life of the product is up to five years. I imagine the technology would move on faster than the tag would need replacing." |
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