UK (Next Media) -  British Airways this month began trailing reusable electronic tags that customers can update using their smartphones.

According to a British Airways press release: “Once checked in, customers just need to hold their smartphone over the electronic tag, which automatically updates with a unique barcode containing their flight details and an easy-to-see view of their bag’s destination.”

The electronic tags have two e-ink screens. One displays the barcode; the other shows the British Airways passenger’s flight information. Customers use an app to update their flight information on their smartphones, then wave their smartphonesover the electronic tags which receive the information from the smartphones via NFC. Later versions of the electronics tags will use a more widely available form of wireless communication than NFC, such as Bluetooth.

British Airways plans to officially launch the tags in 2014.

SOURCES: Gizmag, British Airways, Designworks, The Verge

http://www.gizmag.com/british-airways-digital-luggage-tags/28140/

http://designworksgroup.net/blog/posts/116

http://press.ba.com/?p=3187

http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/27/4469716/british-airways-bag-tag-epaper-nfc-luggage