SITA integrates Google’s Find Hub into WorldTracer for smart baggage recovery
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According to the SITA 2025 Baggage IT Insights report, over the past two decades, mishandling rates have fallen by 67% even as passenger volumes have more than doubled.
SITA has integrated Google’s Find Hub item locating sharing feature into WorldTracer, the global system used by airlines to find and reconcile delayed and mishandled baggage. This integration marks a significant shift, allowing passenger-authorised location data from major global mobile platforms to be seamlessly incorporated into the baggage recovery process.
As more travellers opt to share their bag’s location using personal devices securely, airlines gain a crucial new data source to resolve cases faster and minimise permanent bag loss. Traditionally, baggage recovery relied solely on airport scans and airline data exchanges. Now, when a passenger shares their bag's location through a secure link generated in Find Hub, airline teams can view this information directly within WorldTracer. This extra layer of visibility helps teams narrow search areas and prioritise delayed cases, moving recovery from manual tracing to a more data-supported, precise approach.
The process remains fully controlled by the passenger. If a bag is delayed, the traveller 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.
Nicole Hogg, Portfolio Director, Baggage at SITA, said, “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.”
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-authorised 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.
