Reclaiming baggage claim

How a new Baggage Information Display System (BIDS) is improving the baggage claim experience at YVR

Anyone who has ever stood at a carousel watching it spin with no bags has asked themselves the same question: When will my luggage arrive?  

As part of our commitment to providing a seamless passenger experience, we improved the Baggage Information Display (BID) screens in our Arrivals areas. The goal: Give passengers arriving at YVR clearer, more meaningful updates while they wait for their bags to show up. 
 

Unpacking the data on baggage delivery 

As a passenger, baggage delivery can feel mysterious. You feed your belongings onto a conveyor belt and watch them disappear into the inner workings of the airport, only to emerge hours later on a baggage carousel in a completely different airport.  

Behind the scenes, airline personnel and infrastructure like YVR’s High-Level Control (HLC) baggage system are working to deliver your bag at the expected place and time. Thanks to ground handler delivery standards and historical data, YVR can predict your bag’s arrival time with a reasonable degree of accuracy. But until now, that information wasn’t accessible to passengers. 

Three things you’ll notice at the carousels 

Next time you pick up your bag after a flight into YVR, keep an eye out for these changes. 
 

• A countdown until bags start to arrive. The new displays show a reverse countdown based on your flight’s arrival time.

• Accessible design. Designers collaborated with our Accessibility team on aspects like contrast and sizing to ensure readability for passengers with visual impairment considerations. Clear graphics communicate the message to passengers who do not speak English or French.

• A clear indication of what stage baggage delivery is in, from unloading to processing to delivered. When the last bag has arrived, the screen says so. If your bag isn’t there, there’s no need to keep waiting—head to the nearest airline counter for assistance. 
   

A commitment to improving passenger experience 

YVR strives to deliver a streamlined experience for everyone travelling through our terminals. Our latest improvements to our Baggage Information Display System are just one way we’re putting passengers first. 

Discover more projects at YVR that are improving our operations and passenger experience, like new CT X-ray equipment at screening checkpoints, and options for biometric boarding.