Seen At 11: Travelers Keeping Tabs On Luggage With GPS Tags

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There's GPS for your car, your kids, even your dog.

Now, as CBS 2's Maurice DuBois reported, new GPS technology can help you keep track of your luggage, even if it gets lost at the airport.

"In a few years, we're not going to see paper bag tags that date from the 1930s," said travel expert George Hobica. "We're going to see everyone have their own reprogrammable bag tag."

Anyone whose luggage has been lost by an airline knows how frustrating it can be.

"They said they'll ship it to us when they find it," one man said.

"They would have a recording that would say, you know, 'We're still searching for your luggage,'" said another unlucky traveler.

"It's either in Columbus or the flight from Philly," another woman added.

A reprogrammable, digital luggage tag, however, allows travelers to keep track of the exact location of their bags at all times.

Travelers link the tags with their smartphones, then program it with their flight information.

"It allows you to program your own bag, so that there's no mistake by the checking agent," Hobica said.

It's a growing market, but there are already a handful of different digital bags travelers can choose from. Experts say it won't be long before the tags are standard with many airlines.

"It's definitely going to be the future," Hobica said. "Air France and KLM are some of the early adopters."

While GPS luggage tags will save the airlines money, they'll cost consumers about $100 right now. The hope is the savings will eventually be passed along.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)