Delta’s focus on innovation has moved up a gear with the roll out of a new industry-leading service which allows customers to keep track of their checked bags on its flights between London Heathrow and the United States via their mobile phones. 

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) bag tags are added to all checked luggage which are read by RFID scanners at various points along the journey. Customers’ receive push notifications via their phones on the Fly Delta app, giving them real-time updates on their luggage from check-in to the arrivals carousel.

“Carrying more than 1.3 million bags between London Heathrow and the United States each year, our new service gives customers peace of mind because they know we’re looking after their bags every step of the way,” said Corneel Koster, Delta’s senior vice president Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. “Following a successful roll-out in the U.S., we are on track to equip all of our international stations, including Heathrow, with this technology as part of our continued efforts to improve our customer experience.”   

Initial results of RFID-tagged items show they are tracked at a 99.9 percent success rate, ensuring proper routing and loading. In addition to live updates, customers can also access a map view of their bag’s journey when travelling in the United States through the app.

Customers who book Delta-operated flights through its joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic, can also use the bag tracking service on flights departing London Heathrow via the Fly Delta app.

Delta’s RFID – Key Facts

• 99.9 percent success rate for tracked bags using Delta’s RFID technology
  
• $50 million invested by Delta to roll out RFID at 344 airports worldwide
• Heathrow is the largest Delta station in Europe to offer RFID, Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol will be online in the coming months