Flight Hacks understands that as Tuesday 5th December, Qantas will launch baggage tracking via the Qantas App. That’s provided you have updated to the latest version of the app on either iOS or Android.
Initially, Qantas baggage tracking will be available on eligible flights between a small number of domestic destinations, although the feature is expected to roll out to all Qantas flights in the coming year.
What Routes Have Qantas Baggage Tracking?
For the initial release, Qantas will only offer in-app baggage tracking for those customers travelling on a single-sector journey between ten domestic locations;
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Perth
- Adelaide
- Canberra
- Cairns
- Darwin
- Townsville
- Alice Springs
Customers travelling solely on a domestic sector of an international flight, such as QF10 from Perth to Melbourne, will also receive baggage updates.
What Notifications Can I Expect?
Qantas will send three notifications containing updates on your luggage. They are;
- “Checked in: We’ve got your bag” – sent when your bag tag is activated at check-in
- “In transit: It’s on its way” – sent when you board the aircraft, listing the time your bag was last scanned
- “Arrived: Ready to collect ” – sent when your bag is scanned at the arrivals carousel.
Just like Virgin Australia’s baggage tracking, Qantas won’t notify its passengers when their bag is physically loaded onto the aircraft, voiding the entire benefit of baggage tracking. Passengers already know when they’ve dropped off their luggage at check-in, and you will likely see your bag on the arrivals carousel before the notification is pushed through.
The ‘in transit’ alert is also pointless, as it only goes as far as confirming your bag is staged and ready to be loaded. So if your bag is scanned as ‘in transit’ but then stacked with the wrong flight or dropped on the way to your plane and not loaded, you won’t actually know until after waiting at arrivals.
What Happens When Qantas Loses My Bag?
Last July, a staffer at an outsourcing company used to replace workers Qantas sacked during the pandemic claimed the Red Roo was “losing one in 10 bags”, although the company disputed that figure. A spokesperson for the airline claimed Qantas was “mishandling” the luggage of five out of every 1,000 passengers for domestic flights and six in 1,000 passengers for international services.
To put that in perspective, Qantas currently offers around 6,300 daily seats from Sydney to Melbourne. By their own math, Qantas loses 30 bags each day on the Sydney to Melbourne route alone.
Once baggage tracking is launched, all customers will find a link at the bottom of the tracking screen to report missing baggage. The link directly connects passengers to a self-service portal, where they can raise a missing baggage report in the hope their items are returned.
