MINI-BAG TAG HELPS PREVENTS LOST LUGGAGE

Just about every airline passenger has a fear about their bags being lost or misplaced. One might assume the best airlines—those that are well managed, pay attention to their customers, and invest in new technology are eager to address this reality. That is often not the case. It is clear airlines cannot afford to implement their own RF-enabled bag tag applications because of high fuel and other costs that are reducing airline profitability and limiting new IT innovations.

I have challenged the status quo of barcode baggage and invented a great new traveler service that lets airline passengers rest easy in their seats. Losing my luggage twice on business trips during the same year inspired me to invent a new product and business. Both times, I arrived at the baggage carousel and felt devastated. I quickly learned I was not alone. Luggage often gets lost. If it does, the inconvenience for travelers can be overwhelming. I wanted others to avoid my pain and the experience of losing their bags. Creating a new travel tag product and notification system became my personal mission. Let’s consider the figures—last month nearly 300,000 pieces of luggage were lost by airlines. The FAA said 2006 was the worst year ever for flight delays, and 2008 isn’t looking any better, only creating more lost and misdirected baggage problems for airline travelers.

By combining the latest Internet technology with radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) methods, I developed the most sophisticated electronic luggage tag ever created. My innovation links an identification code to a traveler’s contact data in a small microchip-embedded “wireless” luggage tag. The ReturnMe bag tag system combines microchip technology with a visual passenger luggage and carry-on bag identification tag to help verify and identify wayward baggage. The plastic tag case includes a hollow cavity that is part of a novel luggage ID tag, which can be attached to any accessory including checked or carry-on bags to assist in identifying a bag and/or its owner. The tag is configured to hold an optional RFID transponder within the hollow cavity that includes passenger-controlled privacy protection features. The tag system disables the antenna and related circuits of the RFID transponder, so it cannot transmit data unless manually activated by the baggage item's owner.

My permanent “ReturnMe” luggage ID tag applies low-cost, proven RF and WiFi technology specifically in baggage carousel areas and in airport baggage offices. The tag links to a secure Internet identification and alert system to provide contact and return instructions with other helpful return information including: travel itinerary, e-mail or cell phone contact information. Airline personnel would know to look for the tag should a bag get lost or misplaced. It even adds a “privacy” switch to secure wireless data transmission and turn off the RFID tag whenever bag is outside the airport. To benefit, a passenger receives free, or can purchase, a ReturnMe luggage tag to attach to their bags or carry-ons. These are not your typical bag tags that ask you to write your name, address and phone number on each bag for potential thieves to read as you travel. Instead, they contain a tiny microchip that helps positively identify the owner of the bag and provide information to alert the bag’s owner in the event they become lost or misplaced. If the bag becomes misplaced and found, the traveler receives an instant alert on their mobile phone by SMS or other email that will include details supplied by the finder or airline including how to contact them to receive their luggage back. While designed for airports, the tag can also work in hotels and suites with an 800 number printed on each tag.

This great idea represents the first airline passenger baggage microchip product to combine traditional bag ID tag features with advanced microchip technology. The bag tag-style product features an affordable airline passenger solution in the form of a permanent ID tag with replaceable RFID wafer capsule affixed to passenger baggage or a carry-on. A U.S. patent for this innovation has been issued and now I want to share my idea and bring it market so fellow business travelers will no longer need to worry about losing their luggage, knowing my ReturnMe luggage tag is standing guard.