American Airlines Baggage Notifications

Few things outside of teleportation technology will endear airlines to the people these days, but American Airlines is trying, with a new notification system for passenger bags.

It ain’t much, but it’s also not dragging bloodied passengers out of their seats to make room for staff. Progress, let’s call it.

The new notification system — which kicks in when a passenger’s checked luggage is not on the same aircraft when they land — works thusly: On arrival, passengers with checked bags will receive one of three notifications: Early Baggage Arrival, Late Baggage Arrival (BSO) and Late Baggage Arrival (MBO) — meaning “Baggage Service Office” and “Mobile Baggage Order,” respectively.

The system is set up to make recovering delayed and lost baggage easier, directing customers to all the different ways they can pick up their goods.

Will it make your life better? Eh. Will it short-circuit the sometimes-endless stakeout at baggage carousel? It very well could. Better to know your bag’s in Dallas — while you’re in Denver — sooner than later.

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Diane Rommel

Diane Rommel has written for The Wall Street Journal, Outside, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure, Wallpaper and Afar, as well as The Cut, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and McSweeney’s. She once drove from London to Mongolia, via Siberia.