Airplane manufacturer Airbus has previewed an iPhone-enabled smart luggage prototype called 'Bag2Go' that uses a number of new technologies to help airlines and flyers keep track of baggage, reports Australian Business Traveler.

The bags include RFID chips for next-generation airline baggage handling and a barcode that syncs with an iPhone app that includes a 'Find My Bag' feature that hooks into airline databases to give you up-to-the-minute data on the bags location. They also have a digital scale built into the handle of the bag that talks to the iPhone's app.

Flyers simply lift up on the handle and the digital scale makes sure the bag is beneath an airline's weight limit. The airline believes the bags would cost some 20% more than comparable 'dumb' bags.

Bag2go

Christened 'Bag2Go', the concept has been developed in partnership with mobile carrier T-Mobile and German luggage maker Rimowa.

An RFID chip inside the bag lets it work with the increasing number of automated airport and airline baggage-handling systems which can 'pair' smartchipped bagtags with your itinerary and frequent flyer number.

A barcode on the bag’s trip-specific label syncs it against your iPhone and can be passed on to your airline booking.

Airbus says it would not sell the bags directly but could license the technology to partner airlines.

Top Rated Comments

parish Avatar
137 months ago
Shame you have to put your iPhone in Airplane mode in flight or you could track you bags flying from JFK to LAX - as you fly JFK to LHR :p
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thepowerofnone Avatar
137 months ago
Why knock this? If you don't like it then don't buy it obviously, however having flown quite a bit and had bags lost on multiple occasions this certainly appeals to me. Its a natural progression of technology as part of a much bigger picture: previously dumb objects are getting smarter and easier to track. I like progress. Even if it comes at a (fairly small) premium. You're on an Apple rumour website - you are clearly pretty used to paying a premium for a few extras. And the digital scale is pretty handy too.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
137 months ago
I travel a lot and something like this would be awesome. Just a couple weeks ago... standing in JFK waiting for my bag to come down the carousel... waiting and waiting only to have the bad luck that my bad was last to be offloaded. So, all that time of waiting getting more and more nervous my bag didn't make it. With the tracker I would have known it was there and I would have been able to relax until I tracked it closer to the belt. I would have loved that!

However... I'd rather just have something I could put in any bag I got that would allow me to track it. Not just a specific bag.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nostaws Avatar
137 months ago
I fly a few times a year, so you're right I don't need to make an investment in great luggage.

However, my father-in-law and a few siblings literally fly multiple times a week as part of their jobs. They would love something like this. And a $100 suitcase can't put up with their weekly itinerary.


One has to be silly to pay even more for something that gets thrown about by baggage handlers. A piece of luggage should be cheap and one should be happy if it lasts a couple of years. Whoever pays more than $100 for a piece of luggage is insane regardless of what the luggage may offer.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
afro-ninja Avatar
137 months ago
"Oh, no! Honey, we didn't charge the luggage!"
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Canyonero Avatar
137 months ago
If it only costs 20% more I'd get one.

20 % more than the current price tag of Rimowa luggages which range from $300-1000.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UPC differs from a typical front ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Event Still

Apple Pushes Back Against iPhone USB-C Regulations in India

Tuesday December 5, 2023 4:18 am PST by
Apple has asked the Indian government to exempt existing iPhones from new rules that require smartphones sold in the country to have a USB-C charging port, reports Reuters. India wants to replicate an upcoming European Union rule that requires all smartphones to implement the USB-C charging standard. However, according to a new report, Apple has told India its local production targets will...