Turkish Airlines Teams Up With Samsung to Launch Smart Tagged Baggage Service
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On Monday, Turkish Airlines announced the introduction of a new Smart Tagged Baggage service developed in partnership with Samsung that gives passengers a more accurate and convenient way to track their bags in real time. The carrier is the global launch airline for SmartThings technologies in baggage handling, raising the bar for the passenger experience.
A New Level of Baggage Visibility for Travelers
According to the 2024 SITA Baggage IT Insights Report, one in 20 bags are lost or stolen, equating to 1.8 million bags each year. The introduction of Smart Tagged Baggage demonstrates Turkish Airlines’ focus on reducing common travel pain points like these, with SmartThings giving passengers another way to stay informed about their belongings.
Turkish Airlines will deploy Samsung’s SmartThings Find platform to help travelers track bags throughout their airport journey. SmartThings Find lets passengers upload a photo of their luggage to the app, helping them identify their bag faster and reducing the stress of picking up similar looking items at baggage claim. Through the partnership, the Turkish flag carrier aims to create a more seamless and predictable airport experience.
The airline also plans to expand its use of the SmartThings Find technology over time beyond baggage tracking into new location-based features for future digital passenger tools. This reflects a broader vision in which travelers move through their journey with greater control, information and confidence.
“We are delighted to work with Turkish Airlines to deliver a more convenient and streamlined travel experience.”
– Jaeyeon Jung, Samsung
Turkish Airlines sees this move as part of its long term digital strategy. The carrier’s Chief Information Technologies Officer Kerem Kızıltunç said, “Turkish Airlines continues to lead the industry on its road to digitalization. We are delighted to partner with Samsung to leverage its cutting-edge technology for the benefit of our passengers. We will continue to strengthen our industry leadership with technological collaborations that prioritize guest satisfaction and set new standards for the aviation industry.”
SmartThings: A Cross-Industry Platform
SmartThings is Samsung’s device ecosystem and smart home platform that connects phones, appliances, sensors and everyday objects into a single interface. It launched in 2012, and Samsung expanded the product significantly after acquiring it in 2014. Today, it is one of the most widely used smart home ecosystems, connecting hundreds of millions of compatible devices across TVs, mobile devices, appliances and personal electronics.
SmartThings Find, the feature used by Turkish Airlines, launched in October 2020 as part of Samsung’s solution to help customers locate Galaxy phones, tablets, earbuds, watches and trackers. The service uses Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband signals to pinpoint the location of registered items. By joining the SmartThings ecosystem, Turkish Airlines brings aviation into a network that already supports retail, home automation, personal mobility, hospitality and electronics manufacturing.
Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings Jaeyeon Jung said, “Samsung is expanding the SmartThings Find experience through partnerships across industries to help customers stay connected and at ease wherever they are. We are delighted to work with Turkish Airlines to deliver a more convenient and streamlined travel experience.”
The adoption of SmartThings Find in aviation signals the merging of digital ecosystems. Travelers expect real time notifications and clear visibility as they move between home, the airport and their destination. Turkish Airlines has positioned itself at the forefront of this convergence.
Aviation Enters a New Era of Connected Travel
The expansion of SmartThings Find into Turkish Airlines operations comes at a moment when global carriers are looking for ways to reduce friction and build trust across the travel journey. It arrives as passengers have already grown comfortable using Apple AirTags to track luggage independently. AirTags rely on the global Find My network, which uses nearby Apple devices to locate a tagged item. This made AirTags a popular solution during years when baggage handling delays were common and travelers wanted more control.
In June, JetBlue became one of the first airlines in the US to formally integrate AirTag location sharing into its baggage operations. As part of its JetForward strategy, the airline introduced real-time bag tracking inside its mobile app, along with a feature that lets customers share an “Item Location” link from the Find My app directly with JetBlue staff. Passengers can scan a QR code at baggage claim or provide the link to a crew member, giving the airline temporary access to the AirTag’s live location.
JetBlue said these tools help frontline teams locate and return misplaced bags faster while giving travelers greater peace of mind. The airline highlighted that less than one percent of checked bags were delayed in 2024, and AirTag support helps maintain that strong performance. JetBlue’s adoption of Find My tools shows how airlines are increasingly willing to integrate consumer technology into their operations.