Exploring Bluetooth baggage tracking with LATAM Airlines: an interview with Elena, Head of Business Development at Bob

We recently had the exciting opportunity to conduct a proof of concept (POC) with LATAM Airlines in Chile, focusing on our innovative solution, TravelTag. TravelTag aims to revolutionize baggage handling by leveraging Bluetooth technology to provide real-time tracking and reduce human error.

To get more insights from this Chilean experience, we interviewed Elena, our Head of Business Development, who spent a week working closely with the LATAM team. Here’s what she had to say about the challenges faced by airlines, the success of our POC, and the benefits TravelTag can bring to the aviation industry.

From your interactions, what are the biggest pain points the airline is facing that our Bluetooth baggage tracking solution TravelTag could potentially address?

- Reduce human factor: ground handlers carry a lot of responsibility and have to work hard to meet the stringent requirements for turnaround times. That can lead to errors, also in baggage handling and tracking. It’s time to look for a permanent solution like TravelTag that requires less human interaction, and more accurate tracking.?

- Improve operations: Data is the future for airlines and airports. Only through clear data insights can they find out where and when bags go missing, how mishandling rates are evolving, and find ways to improve. We’re proud at Bob that our data can integrate with existing systems, for systematic data collection and analysis.

- Reduce mishandling: At the moment, the IATA Resolution 753 stipulates baggage tracking at 4 key points in the baggage handling process: check-in, loading, transfer, and unloading. But what if your bag gets lost in between any of those points? Airports are gigantic and are constantly becoming bigger. It’s up to us to make sure that we can track every bag in real-time, every step of the way.?

- Improve recovery: imagine you can send out an automated message when a bag is lost or mishandled. It would save so much time and paperwork, both for the passenger and airlines, and would ultimately lead to a faster recovery process.?

Did you identify any specific areas where TravelTag could offer a significant advantage over their existing processes??

Absolutely. TravelTag is an airline-first solution, conceived to provide airlines with Baggage Location information as well as giving passengers with what they are looking for (baggage visibility).

Unlike existing technologies that provide information about where a bag was at a specific time, Bluetooth gives information about where a bag is now and therefore complements existing technology.

Legacy technology is often faced with a range of issues, including:

• Technological issues, such as the need for line of sight when reading a barcode or the lack of systems in some airports.
• Vulnerability of outside tags as these tags can be ripped or become unreadable. TravelTag is put safely within the passengers' baggage.
• Human Factors, such as scanning the wrong bag, systems adherence, etc.

With our POC, we had the chance to prove that Bluetooth has the power to drive results in baggage handling with continuous, real-time tracking.

So, did the POC meet your expectations and LATAM’s?

Absolutely, it even exceeded them. We could cover the entire airport for live Bluetooth tracking with only a few antennas, which makes our solutions extremely cost-efficient.

And by working with state-of-the-art technology, we can also reduce the human factor. Ground handlers can focus on other tasks, and there is less chance of errors.

We could provide bag info immediately to passengers, which put LATAM at the forefront of the airline industry and ahead of the competition in addressing passengers' demands.

Passengers loved the idea, and showed they'd rather choose an airline with baggage tracking:

• 67% of passengers reported feeling safer and less anxious traveling with TravelTag.
• 77% would choose LATAM over other airlines thanks to TravelTag.
• 61% said to be satisfied to extremely satisfied with their TravelTag experience.

Were there any cultural or logistical considerations that surprised you during your trip to Chile?

The collaborative and committed approach of the LATAM team was remarkable. Every team member, from IT, design, airport operations, baggage handling, or customer service, was dedicated to the success of the project.?

From a project management perspective, I was impressed by their organization and synchronization. Being such a large company, you would expect logistical issues, but the LATAM team works together very well. Each person knows their role and contributes efficiently, much like a well-oiled Swiss clock.

Thanks, Elena!

Our POC with LATAM Airlines highlighted the significant potential of TravelTag to transform baggage handling in the aviation industry.?

By addressing key pain points, integrating seamlessly with existing systems, and demonstrating the superior advantages of Bluetooth technology, TravelTag proved to be a game-changer.?

We are excited about the future possibilities and look forward to helping more airlines enhance their operations and improve passenger satisfaction with our innovative solutions.

Curious about how our TravelTag can integrate with your aviation tech, and boost your operational efficiency and passenger experience? Contact us now to learn more.

Felix Campano

Founder & CEO Bob Bluetooth Baggage Tracking

#AviationIndustry #BaggageHandling #PassengerExperience