IBNS-CMEDIA: Misplaced luggage is a common travel frustration, often leaving passengers waiting days for updates on where their bags might be.
In a move aimed at making the recovery process faster, Google has rolled out a new feature called Find Hub, allowing travellers to share the live location of their luggage directly with airlines.
According to a report by Business Today, the system has already been adopted by Turkish Airlines, which is using the feature within its baggage-tracking workflow. The tool is part of Google’s wider effort to build a unified platform that helps users locate items fitted with compatible trackers across devices.
The travel-focused application of the technology is drawing attention from airlines seeking ways to improve the handling of delayed or lost baggage.
How the feature works
Passengers can use the feature if their luggage has a Find Hub-compatible tracking accessory attached to it.
If a bag fails to arrive at the baggage carousel, travellers can generate a secure location-sharing link through the Find Hub app and submit it to the airline through its baggage claim portal.
The link allows airline staff to view the bag’s real-time location, helping them narrow down where it may be within airports or transit hubs.
Google has built several safeguards into the system. Users can stop sharing their location link at any time, the links automatically expire after seven days, and the sharing feature switches off once the bag is detected near the user’s phone again.
The company says all data shared through the system is encrypted.
More than ten airlines have partnered with Google to integrate the tool into their baggage systems during the initial rollout.
The participating carriers include-Turkish Airlines, Air India, AJet, China Airlines, Lufthansa Group airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss Saudia, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).
Additional carriers, including Qantas, are expected to join the programme in the coming months.
Faster recovery of delayed bags
The new feature is designed to complement existing airline baggage systems.
Travel industry publication Skift reported that passenger-authorised location data can feed into tracking platforms such as WorldTracer, giving airline teams another source of information when searching for missing bags.
By allowing travellers to share the precise location of their luggage, airlines may be able to speed up recovery efforts and provide clearer updates to passengers waiting for their belongings.
