Lost your luggage? Google’s new Find Hub feature lets you share its location with airlines

Google on Tuesday introduced a feature that allows travellers to share the location of lost luggage directly with airlines through its Find Hub tracking network.

The feature works with small tracking tags placed inside luggage that can show a bag’s location on a smartphone app.

The new “share item location” feature lets users generate a secure link from the Find Hub app showing the real-time location of a bag equipped with a compatible tracking tag, which can then be shared with airlines handling the baggage claim.

“With the new share item location feature, you can generate a secure link to your bag’s location and share it directly with a participating airline, giving them the information they need to locate it,” Google said in a blog post.

More than 10 airlines have agreed to accept location data generated through Find Hub as part of their baggage recovery processes, including Air India, China Airlines, Saudia, Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and the Lufthansa Group.

Qantas is expected to join the programme in the near future, the company said.

Airlines normally rely on specialised industry systems to track missing bags across airports worldwide.

The feature integrates with baggage-tracing platforms operated by SITA and Reunitus, including WorldTracer and NetTracer, which airlines use to locate and return lost luggage.

“Together, these platforms power the recovery operations for hundreds of airlines at thousands of airports worldwide,” Google said.

Users can stop sharing the tracking link at any time, and the link automatically expires after seven days.

The company said device location data is encrypted and sharing stops automatically once the phone detects the item is back with the owner.

Google is also partnering with luggage maker Samsonite to embed Find Hub technology into some suitcases, allowing travellers to track their bags without needing a separate device.