Where did I say that this process has to change? What I am after is for the reclaim stub/check to be available in airlines' mobile apps akin to how boarding passes are already.

That sounds very complex, and a solution to a problem that doesn't exist for 99% of people. In theory, your bag is already linked to your airline ticket (so that when you are a no show they can pull the bag off the plane) so in theory, there is no need for a separate claim stub as it is already in the system should they need to check. But the people checking your bag and claim match (at some airports they do this very diligently) don't have access to your airline reservation, deal wtih hundreds of different airlines - having them familiar with all the different apps would be a waste of everyone's time (people having to pull out their phones, turn them on, find the app, find the claim section, checker having to work out what the number is compared to the label as they will likely be in a different format. v holding up a piece of paper). Not to mention you'd have to have two systems in place, as not everyone travels with a phone. If the tag is going to automatically come out of the dispenser anyway (for most passengers that need one) isn't it just a heck of a lot easier to just use that, than worry about 'the system being down', 'the internet being offline', 'computer systems glitch', etc. KISS

Plus, I wouldn't trust the claim stub to come through on my phone without checking (airline apps can be flakey!) so I'd want to wait at the desk until it showed up - a complete waste of time too.

FYI, when I don't have a boarding pass to attach the claim to, I stick it in my wallet - why not keep an old hotel key card in there to stick it to if you are worried about residue?

Emirates provide a piece of card with the receipt attached for those of us who use mobile boarding pass.

I know you lot were bashing me, but this just in: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...gage-tags.html

You can though - at self-check-ins in (for example this year) Norway and NZ, I can state I have one checked bag , get the printed-out baggage tag c/w tear-off reclaim check at a kiosk ... but then don't take anything to the bag drop.

However, I'd assume that the lack of a matching bagtag being scanned after the bag drop would scupper my claim for lost baggage, since the airline would have no corroborating proof of having ever received it.

My main gripe against sticky claim checks on my passport is that at some point I put my reading glasses in the same shirt pocket as my passport and the lenses get smeared with the sticky stuff.

I have the Qantas electronic tags as well, saves a bit of time at Aus domestic check in.

Mobile apps would be an improvement I guess, if only to my phone company's revenue with even more roaming data charges. I'd also need chargers at the baggage services desk so I could power up my phone after I've left it on accidentally for 12 hours, so I could claim my missing baggage.

I agree that when a bag is checked at the airport, and the bag is tagged, that in your airline reservation (whether viewing it on the web or a mobile device) the record should list for the pax the bag tag# which is printed on the claim check. There should also be a link in either a web or mobile app view for live tracking of the bag. Actually now both US and DL have this live internet tracking of bags so you can see e.g. when it was loaded on to the plane. With US you can retrieve the bag tag lookup via your 6 character US PNR. So if you did not readily have your claim check you could track the baggage using the confirmation# which you likely do have on your boarding pass.

I actually came across this thread as I was doing a google search for an iOS app that could scan an airline bag tag claim check and convert the barcode in to the bag tag#. Does anyone know if there is a barcode scanning app that can read the airline bag tag barcodes?

Also what I personally do is when I check a bag I will add the bag tag# to the flight notes on TripIt:
http://tripit.com
You can add these notes from the TripIt iOS app, and then they are in sync so anyone authorized to view your trip either on the web or another mobile device would be able to view the notes that you enter. But I was jjust looking for a more automated work flow than to have to manually type the bag tag claim# or #'s in to Tripit from the iPhone.