Lost luggage is the bane of travelling and it only seems to have become worse since we returned to travel after the pandemic.
Well, Virgin Australia has announced it will be rolling out a tracking tool that could take the pain out of missing luggage.
The system is an app-based logistic that informs passengers when their baggage has been checked in, loaded onto the aircraft, transferred to a connecting flight if required and at which baggage carousel it will be arriving.
Domestic and international coverage
Regular Virgin domestic travellers have been using the app on a portion of the airline’s domestic routes, but it will now be expanded to cover all Virgin domestic and international flights.
“Australians find comfort in the ability to track food deliveries, postal deliveries, technology, even their heart rate, all via apps, and it made sense for travellers to be able to do the same thing when flying Virgin Australia,” said Paul Jones, chief customer and digital officer, Virgin Australia.
“By further enhancing our Australian-first baggage tracking technology to include all international services and additional notifications, we are giving guests the peace of mind to know where their baggage is at every step of the journey,” said Mr Jones.
If you want to track your luggage on Virgin, follow these steps:
- download the Virgin Australia app. It’s free!
- enable push notifications via app settings
- once enabled, a series of push notifications will be sent to your phone throughout the journey, including when the bag is checked in, loaded onto the aircraft, transferred to an international partner airline, and available for collection at the final destination. The tool will also advise the guest at which carousel the baggage will be available for collection.
For more information, visit here.
Best travel insurance
The latest CPI figures released this week show a steep rise in the cost of insurance, and travel insurance has not escaped that trend.
However, comparison group Mozo has done some number crunching, which may save you hundreds.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), insurance in general had a strong quarterly movement of 3.8 per cent in the December 2023 quarter, following a 2.8 per cent rise in the September 2023 quarter.
But travel insurance has gone to the next level. Figures from Mozo’s annual Travel Insurance Report found that travel insurance costs have risen by 24 per cent on average in the past 12 months.
The report also lists Mozo’s winner’s list of best insurers for 2024 and can be found in the report here.
Can’t be bothered reading the report? We’ve got you. For basic insurance, Mozo recommends Freely, for comprehensive insurance and ski holiday insurance, Tick Travel and for cruise insurance, your best offer is Qantas insurance.
Shop around
Mozo estimates that for a family of four on a 14-day trip, the average comprehensive policy cost is now $515. Cruising insurance’s average cost is $528.
Average costs per day vary between $13 for a basic holiday and $20 for a ski holiday.
How can you save? Well, it’s that old chestnut, you need to shop around.
“Mozo research shows Aussies could be paying hundreds of dollars more than they need to, if they’re not comparing policies,” says Mozo money expert Rachel Wastell.
“Travel insurance might not be the most exciting expense to organise when planning a holiday, but it’s crucial Aussies don’t rip themselves off by choosing the first policy they see.
“If you’re back at work and already planning your next holiday, you’re probably not thinking about travel insurance, but you should be.”
Have you ever lost luggage? Would you welcome a tracking app? Why not share your experience in the comments section below?
Also read: Is your medicine legal overseas?
