Bag Tracking

Customers often experience anxiety about the whereabouts of their checked bags, leading to increased inquiries at customer service desks and frustration during travel. To enhance the travel experience and reduce operational strain, we introduced real-time bag tracking in the mobile app, providing customers with end-to-end visibility of their checked luggage.

As the Manager of Mobile & Notifications, I led the strategy and execution of integrating real-time bag tracking into the mobile experience. I collaborated with engineering, airport operations, and customer experience teams to deliver a seamless, user-friendly solution that increased customer confidence and reduced baggage-related inquiries.

1. Limited Data Availability: the existing baggage handling system had tracking capabilities but lacked a real-time, customer-facing API for seamless integration.

2. Data Accuracy & Timeliness: Ensuring baggage tracking updates were accurate and reflected real-time movements across multiple airports.

3. User Experience & Engagement: Designing an intuitive interface that provided meaningful updates without overwhelming users with unnecessary details.

4. Operational Buy-In: Gaining alignment with internal teams (baggage handling, airport operations, customer support) to ensure consistent data flow and minimize disruptions.

1. API Integration & Data Structuring

   • Partnered with engineering teams to connect the mobile app to the airline’s baggage handling systems via API.

   • Ensured data points (e.g., check-in, loading, arrival) were structured to deliver clear updates to customers.

2. Designing the User Experience

   • Conducted user research to understand what information customers valued most (e.g., confirmation that the bag was loaded onto the plane).

   • Created high-fidelity wireframes and worked with UX designers to implement a simple, intuitive tracking UI within the app.

3. Testing & Iteration

   • Launched a beta program in select airports to gather feedback from travelers and crew.

   • Monitored customer support inquiries to identify common concerns and usability gaps.

   • Iterated based on feedback, improving notification timing and clarity of status messages.

   • Ran a survey to capture customer feedback to measure user satisfaction, identify pain points, and refine messaging and feature usability.

• 71% of users who engaged with bag tracking reported the feature provided peace of mind during the day of travel.

• 68% of users loved the feature, while some detractors expressed frustration with wait times at baggage claim.

• Paved the way for future enhancements, including integrating lost luggage claims directly in the app.

• 0.01% API error rate

• Users check the feature an average of 2.2 times per trip, most frequently while onboard and upon deplaning.