- Özgür Töre
In early December, Blue Ribbon Bags (BRB), one of the fastest-growing ancillary services in travel and the world leader in airport delayed baggage retrieval services, and APG, the world’s leading airline distribution network, have formalized a global partnership.
BRB provides a Delayed Baggage Protection product in which the traveler receives real-time push notifications via email, SMS, and WhatsApp regarding the status of the delayed bag for the first 96 hours of it missing. If the delayed baggage is not returned within the 96 hour service period, the traveler would receive a satisfaction guarantee payment due to BRB being unable to fulfill their service obligation. BRB’s primary distribution channels include but are not limited to airlines, online travel agencies, travel management companies, travel insurance providers, and bank/credit card providers.
This partnership will allow BRB to leverage APG’s extensive network of Sales Offices that spans across 170 countries worldwide resulting in the opening of new markets and continued expansion in existing markets.
Daniel Levine, President & Co-Founder of Blue Ribbon Bags, stated, “This strategic partnership extends BRB’s reach into untouched regions where APG’s local expertise and knowledge will allow for our service to be integrated quickly and efficiently. We are very excited to partner with APG as we continue to expand our global footprint.”
Due to many external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and air travel, delayed baggage will only become more of a pain point for both the traveler and airlines alike. Partly, this will be attributed to less direct flights resulting in more connections and layovers along with reduced airline and ground handling staff. Recent aggregated data shows that most airlines are reporting a higher checked baggage rate due to stricter carry-on policies and leisure travelers going on a longer duration trip instead of going on multiple shorter duration trips.
