Electronic Baggage Tags are high-tech, reusable devices you attach to your luggage handle. They have e-ink screens that display your bag’s info (name, flight, barcode, etc.), instead of paper. Once programmed (usually via an app), an EBT shows the same “license plate” code that a paper tag would. After each flight, you can reset it for the next trip.
EBTs are part of IATA’s push for innovation (see RP 1754 on EBT form and function). They allow travelers to skip paper tickets and tags entirely. For example, some airlines let you update the tag on your phone until just before you drop it. Because the tag’s data is electronic, agents simply confirm it at drop-off.
Importantly, EBTs must also meet screening standards. The tag’s data (barcode) must be captured by baggage handling systems. In off-airport check-in pilots, IATA notes that EBTs can make the bag “ready-to-fly” as soon as the passenger activates the tag (iata.org). This means the carrier and automated system accept the bag without re-tagging.
Customs and security treat EBT-tagged bags the same as others. The e-tag must be visible and legible to scanners. If there’s any doubt (battery low, screen cracked, etc.), an agent can still cancel it in the system and issue a normal tag, as with HPBT. One advantage of EBT is that because it’s reusable and often has a larger display, the barcode and flight info are usually very clear, reducing scan errors.
Airlines are starting to require or allow EBT. For example, research shows 67% of passengers favor e-tags (nigeriannewsdirect.com). This trend aligns with the industry’s baggage roadmap. In the future, these e-tags might even communicate via RFID or smartphones to update bag status. For now, the main thing to know is that an EBT is simply a reusable, electronic version of a bag tag – follow the airline’s instructions to load your flight info, and make sure it’s on your bag when you drop it.
