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Luggage Tags - The next place RFID technology will show up is airline luggage tags

You just never know where and when something new will show up using RFID technology. This past week there have been rumors about using RFID on luggage tags. Delta airlines started doing this program but it was shelved when the airline started having financial trouble.

This idea to put RFID could change the way luggage is made and requiring the luggage makers to have it built in when the luggage is made. It is still too early to tell if this will happen as it is just an idea that has been talked about on all the RFID newsgroups.

Does this responsibility fall on the luggage maker, the airlines, or the airports themselves. That is the current problem. No one wants to take the added expense that RFID tags have. There are currently two airports that are testing a form of RFID tags and that is McCarran airport in Las Vegas and at Hong Kong international airport.

There is also a similar RFID system being tried out in Narita airport in Tokyo Japan. This system is supposedly more complex but it can read more information from the tags. This is another problem which system will be used.

The problem with the tags are that there is already RFID in the airport and they are looking to see how or if it will interfere with the other systems. The airports currently use RFID to record maintenance work and such.

Another problem is that the luggage bins themselves might interfere since most of them are made out of metal. No airport wants to go through that additional expense of replacing the luggage conveyors. I can see if you were building an airport you would make sure that you would not have metal luggage bins in the first place but to retrofit them is an added expense that no one wants to pay.

It will be saving the airlines money in the long run installing RFID tags on the luggage as it cost them millions every year replacing lost luggage or delivering it to vacationers in hotels when it is found.

You also have to think that the government at some point in the USA will make this a requirement for security reasons. They would be able to track 100% of the bags that are on planes back to their owners. I think it should be worldwide as I am sure once one country will mandate it they all will have to.

Once again who is going to pay for it is the big question. As the price of RFID tags drop I am sure that it will be more cost effective for whoever is going to pick up the price.