SAS launched the conscious traveler program at the beginning of the year, and one of the rewards for completing it was a reusable bag tag. They opened up to order the tag back in June and of course I ordered one as soon as it was available. It took a while for them to be delivered, but they arrived just in time for a recent trip, and while I didn’t need to check in luggage, I took the chance to try out this new system.

Setup

The setup was very smooth. The tag came with a note and a QR code, which took you to the SAS app with the tag’s ID pre-filled. Since I already had the app installed and was logged in, it was just a matter of confirming the tag, and it was ready to use.

The letter that came with the tag Scan QR code

Usage

The tag has a pre-printed barcode that maps to the number that was added to the app. The tag is made of a sturdy plastic material and feels like it will last a long time (Hopefully longer than the SAS name tags that EuroBonus Gold and Diamond members get), and it’s attached to a a thick plastic band. The tag also has a slider for EU and non-EU flights, and the app clarifies that it’s very important to set this correctly, making me wonder what happens if you mess it up.

My bag with the tag attached.

When checking in through the app, you get the option to select a bag tag that you also want to use. Dropping off the bag at the self-service bag drop worked perfectly after some initial confusion with the staff since I didn’t have a printed bag tag. This system is clearly quite new to everyone. The bag did, however, make it to the final destination with the bag tag unscathed.

Conclusion

The bag tag is cool, and I like the idea of not printing a new tag for every flight. It’s even more useful to passengers without status since it allows them to go straight to dropping off the bag without printing a tag. One downside, however, is that there is only one of them; granted, I rarely check in more than one bag when I travel alone, but when traveling with a partner or family, the advantage is, of course, completely negated. The app allows you to add multiple tags, which implies that there will be some way to get more of them in the future, either by ordering them or by completing another year of the conscious traveler program.

My biggest concern is the durability of the tag. The strap is quite long, which means it would probably be easy enough for the tag to get caught on something. If the strap isn’t durable enough, it will fall off, unlike a normal bag tag, which usually comes with multiple stickers to put on the bag itself; in this case, there is no backup. There might also be airports that aren’t used to this system, and the staff might not identify the tag as a proper bag tag and send the bag to lost luggage.

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