Southwest Airlines passengers can now track their bags with the airline's new baggage tracking tool. Travelers can keep an eye on their bags through the airline's website or app with ease.

Southwest's new baggage tracker

The low-cost carrier has rolled out a real-time baggage tracking tool that lets passengers monitor their belongings from their digital devices. Status updates will include when the bags are loaded and unloaded from the aircraft, affording travelers peace of mind and a more accurate sense of how long they will be waiting at the carousel.

The rate at which airlines mishandled baggage was at its highest for a decade in 2022, with carriers mishandling almost eight bags in every 1,000. This was primarily due to industry staff shortages, which caused major operational issues for airlines and ground staff.

How to use it

Passengers can use Southwest's baggage tracking tool by clicking on 'track checked bags' when viewing your reservation on the airline's official website or mobile app. As the airline explained,

"Now on Southwest.com and the Southwest mobile app, customers can view the status of their checked bag across three different milestones of each checked piece of luggage: confirming when bag tags are printed and when bags are loaded and unloaded from our aircraft."

The carrier also recently added an option that allows passengers to add checked bags to their booking digitally up to 24 hours before departure. This will reduce the number of steps needed to check bags at the counter on the day of your flight, speeding up the overall process.

Plenty of other airlines offer similar baggage tracking services, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, with Southwest now joining the party. Some passengers choose to fit their own tracking devices in their luggage - however, this doesn't always get results, as airlines often neglect to follow through on requests despite the unlucky passengers knowing exactly where their bags are.

Weirdest baggage

Last month, Southwest shared some of the strangest items its passengers have checked in over the years. Among its top five favorites include a single piece of rope, a pool noodle and three kayaks, all checked into the hold.

The airline then followed this up with a Part II, which included a single stick and a bag with the phrase 'emotional luggage' stitched into it. One of the many things passengers love about Southwest is its generous baggage policy - unlike most low-cost carriers that charge on top to check baggage, Southwest allows its passengers up to two bags free of charge.