Samsung and Turkish Airlines launch SmartThings-powered baggage tracking

Samsung and Turkish Airlines have introduced a SmartThings Find–based service that lets passengers track and recover lost luggage more quickly using Galaxy SmartTags.

Samsung Electronics and Turkish Airlines have launched a new tech-driven baggage recovery system designed to cut the stress and uncertainty that comes with lost luggage.

Announced on December 1, the “Smart Tagged Baggage Service” brings Samsung’s SmartThings Find platform directly into the airline experience, giving passengers a faster, more transparent way to track misplaced bags.

The service taps into SmartThings Find, Samsung’s location-tracking network that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ultra-wideband (UWB), and a global mesh of more than 700 million Galaxy devices.

The platform already helps users find smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, and any item tagged with a Galaxy SmartTag. Now, that same infrastructure extends to checked baggage.

Passengers who have a Galaxy SmartTag in their suitcase can include a link to the tag’s live location in their lost baggage report.

With that data, Turkish Airlines’ support teams can pinpoint bags more quickly and get them back to owners with less friction.

Travellers can also upload a photo of their actual luggage through SmartThings Find using the “Change Device Image” feature, helping airline staff visually identify bags when searching manually.

Samsung says Turkish Airlines is the launch partner for this program, with plans to expand the model to more global carriers.

The airline, meanwhile, sees the collaboration as part of a broader digital transformation strategy — one that could eventually extend SmartThings-driven location services beyond luggage handling.

Jaeyeon Jung, EVP and Head of SmartThings at Samsung Electronics, said: “Samsung is expanding the SmartThings Find experience through partnerships across industries to help customers stay connected and at ease wherever they are.”

Turkish Airlines CIO Kerem Kızıltunç added that the initiative strengthens the carrier’s push toward tech-powered customer satisfaction: “We will continue to strengthen our industry leadership with collaborations that set new standards for the aviation industry.”