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Sats’ new baggage location service helps find lost bags

This article is more than 12 months old

Is your luggage in London, or your backpack in Brazil?

Changi Airport's services and ground handling firm Sats has launched a baggage location service on its travel app, which it claims can help passengers keep track of and find their lost bags in any country in the world.

For a fee of up to $12, the service provides a 96-hour guarantee from the time the flight lands to retrieve up to two lost bags for each traveller, and sends regular e-mail updates on the status of the bags.

The Ready To Travel app, launched in 2017, is free to download but users pay for the in-app service before they travel. If the bags cannot be found after 96 hours, travellers will receive payouts of between $1,100 and $2,200 a bag.

Launching the service yesterday, Sats said it is the first of its kind in Asia.

Users of the revamped app will now also be able to book more than 400 airport lounges in nearly 100 countries, having previously been able to book only Sats' four lounges at Changi Airport.

The app also features a new platform that allows users to plan trip itineraries with family and friends.

Sats' vice-president of consumer services Eileen Tan said the app's new services were made possible through Sats' wide network of ground handling operations and partnerships.

She added that its Ready To Travel team works with such ground handling partners to provide travellers with status updates on lost bags.

Users can expect to receive e-mail updates at least once a day, from where their bags are to what time they can expect to get their bags back.

The communication is two-way, meaning users can update the Ready To Travel team on itinerary changes, such as if they are moving to a different city or hotel.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Sats' Ready To Travel head of consumer marketing services Keith Loke said the bag location service acts as a complement to, and not a replacement for, travel insurance.

Mr Loke said: "Although people do buy travel insurance, what we found from talking to travellers is that nearly all would prefer getting their bags back to claiming the insurance payout.

"Lost bags can often derail holiday plans because you just don't know if or when you are getting your bags back and our service helps to address these pain points."

The app is currently for Singapore users only. Existing services on the app include pocket Wi-Fi rental and delivery, travel insurance and airport concierges.

TOURISM & TRAVEL