Virgin Finishes Rolling Out Bag Tracking Across All Flights

Republished By Plato

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Virgin Australia allows bag tracking via app across its entire network. (Image: Virgin Australia)

Virgin Australia is expanding baggage tracking across its entire domestic and international network.

The feature, piloted in May 2023 and rolled out on 70 per cent of Virgin flights in August, allows what Virgin bills as end-to-end tracking via its app, with push notifications when a bag is checked in, loaded, transferred, and unloaded, as well as advising which carousel to collect from.

Baggage tracking will now be available on every domestic Virgin flight, as well as international flights to destinations including Queenstown, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Japan.

According to Virgin’s chief customer and digital officer, Paul Jones, the tool has been used approximately 1.3 million times since the initial May trial, with a 12 per cent increase in downloads of the Virgin Australia app.

“By further enhancing our Australian-first baggage tracking technology to include all international services and additional notifications, we are giving guests the peace of mind to know where their baggage is at every step of the journey,” he said.

“We are committed to being Australia’s most loved airline, and ensuring the safe passage of our customer’s personal items is just another move in our mission to provide that extra level of service and care.

Virgin says its baggage tracking feature is the first of any major Australian airline, and that no other carrier in Australia offers notifications when bags are loaded onto a plane.

Jones held up the tool as part of an investment of more than $400 million in digital, technology, and customer experience improvements, including Rapid Rebook, which allows passengers affected by flight disruptions to view revised details, check alternate flights within a three-day window, and organise accommodation and transport via the Virgin Australia app.

“Over the past 12 months we have delivered a series of significant customer improvements, including newly launched websites, apps, digital systems and Rapid Rebook – a tool for guests to self-manage their bookings end-to-end in the event of disruption,” he said.

“These advancements work to improve the customer experience and complement our consistently low call-wait times.”

The investment also includes a $110 million overhaul of the seat configuration for Virgin’s existing fleet of older 737-800 aircraft, which will see one of five rows of premium economy ‘X’ seats removed to make way for between six and 12 traditional economy seats.

Virgin aims to make the flying experience for passengers consistent between the older 737-800 aircraft and the upcoming 737 MAX 8 and MAX 10 fleet.