Passengers sharing their bag location through personal devices is becoming a key part of airline baggage recovery. As more travelers choose to share their bag’s location when it is delayed, airlines can use that information inside their baggage systems to resolve cases faster and reduce permanent loss.
To support this shift, SITA has integrated Google’s Find Hub share item location feature into WorldTracer, the global system airlines use to find and reconcile delayed and mishandled baggage.
When a passenger chooses to share their bag’s location, airline teams can view that information directly within WorldTracer to support recovery. This changes how airlines approach a delayed bag by adding an additional source of location information to support resolving the delay.
Traditionally, recovery relied on airport scans and airline-to-airline data exchanges. Passenger-authorized location sharing adds an additional source of visibility, helping teams narrow search areas and prioritize cases when a bag does not arrive as expected.
The process remains fully controlled by the passenger. If a bag is delayed, the traveler can generate a secure link in Find Hub and provide it to the airline. Sharing can be stopped at any time. Links expire automatically. Location data is encrypted, and only the passenger decides who can access it and for how long.
“Airlines are operating in an environment where passengers expect visibility of their baggage at every step of the journey,” said Nicole Hogg, Portfolio Director, Baggage at SITA.
“When a bag is delayed, uncertainty increases compensation costs, customer service pressure, and reputational risk. What we are seeing is a move from manual tracing to clearer, data-supported recovery. When passengers choose to share their bag’s location, airlines gain insight at the moment it matters most. This reflects how baggage recovery is becoming more transparent, more collaborative, and more precise.”
With this integration, passenger-authorized location sharing from the world’s most widely used mobile platforms can now be incorporated into WorldTracer. The news also reflects a broader industry move toward more open and secure data sharing across the travel ecosystem. As airports, airlines, and technology providers work more closely together, trusted data exchange is becoming central to improving operational performance and passenger experience.
Over the past two decades, mishandling rates have fallen by 67% even as passenger volumes have more than doubled, according to the SITA 2025 Baggage IT Insights report. This reflects steady industry progress driven by smarter systems and better data use. As travel volumes continue to rise, adding passenger-authorized location data into airline systems reflects a broader move toward clearer, more informed baggage recovery processes that benefit both airlines and passengers.
WorldTracer is used by more than 500 airlines and ground handlers across approximately 2,800 airports worldwide. By enabling secure location sharing from major consumer ecosystems, WorldTracer supports a more connected and transparent approach to baggage recovery at global scale.
About SITA
SITA is the air transport industry’s tech engine, making travel safer, easier, and more sustainable for everyone. From the earliest days of commercial aviation to today’s digital frontiers, SITA has been there, connecting the industry and helping it evolve through every leap forward.
With around 2,500 customers, SITA technology supports over 1,000 airports and more than 19,600 aircraft worldwide. It also helps over 70 governments strike the balance between secure borders and seamless journeys. Behind the scenes, SITA bridges 45–50% of the industry’s data exchange, enabling a highly complex global network to operate smoothly and reliably, every step of the way.
SITA is transforming fast. From advanced self-service and operations control to airport design and digital borders, we’re shaping the next generation of travel through key acquisitions like Materna IPS, ASISTIM, and CCM. We’re also expanding beyond aviation with initiatives such as SmartSea, bringing our trusted technologies to maritime, rail, and urban air mobility.
This transformation is about more than new products. We’re investing in the right skills, tools, and partnerships to help the industry move with greater intelligence and agility, bringing together smart systems, seamless data, and sustainable innovation. Because as global travel surges, flow is everything.
As part of our bold climate strategy, SITA is cutting emissions by 4.2% each year and targeting net zero by 2050. Our science-based targets are validated by the SBTi, and our growing portfolio is helping customers reduce their own carbon footprints too.
Owned by the industry and driven by its needs, SITA operates in more than 200 countries and territories.
About Google
Google, Android and Find Hub are trademarks of Google LLC.
Featured image credited to Becca Alkema
