Delta hopes $50M RFID investment is the answer to lost bags

Update: Previously we mis-categorized Delta as the worst US carrier for baggage mishandling, it’s actually amongst the best.

Delta Airlines today announced it will be investing some $50 million in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to avoid losing any of the 120 million bags it handles each year.

Currently, airlines are mostly tracking baggage using a hand scanner and a barcode. The switch is a big one for passengers as they would now get real-time updates on their luggage via the Delta mobile app. It’s also sorely needed for the airline industry in general.

Delta, according to the Department of Transportation, ranks amongst the best US carriers at handling your bags, but the new investment could improve this even further.

For Delta passengers, the company has already begun testing RFID and claims a 99.9 percent success rate.

Delta plans to implement the luggage tracking system on all flights by the end of the year.