Trakdot, the luggage-tracking service announced at the recent CES show in Las Vegas, is heading for the UK.
Consumers simply put the battery-powered Trakdot Luggage device in their case and receive city-specific information on the location of their baggage in real time. The service sends alerts via SMS and can be accessed via an Apple or Android application as well. There’s also a web-based tracking option.
Trakdot has been created by California-based GPS specialist GlobaTrac. The device itself doesn’t use satellite location but instead picks up information from nearby cell sites. It’s compliant with air safety regulations because it shuts down when an aircraft reaches a speed of 100 knots or more. When the plane lands, the Trakdot device reactivates and reports its whereabouts.
Harry Steck, CEO of GlobaTrac, said “A recent passenger survey from the International Air Transport Association showed that 81% of travellers are interested in tracking their bags in real time. Trakdot Luggage empowers travellers to do just that, with a revolutionary product that is inexpensive as well as simple and convenient to use. The number of people travelling by air increased by 4.5% in 2011, so whether travelling for business or pleasure, we think there is a huge UK market for Trakdot.”
The product is expected to go on sale in the UK from April 2013 at around £39.95. There’ll be an annual service fee of £8.45 and an activation fee of £5.95.