
Apple’s AirTag merchandise tracker has come to be a supporter-favourite accent for a amount of reasons. No matter if you are hoping to discover your keys that you are optimistic are someplace in the dwelling, or an F1 racer hoping to find a stolen bag, AirTags can get the work finished.
Yet another use circumstance for AirTags has also swiftly emerged – monitoring your baggage when traveling. In specific, this refers to checked baggage, which airways are infamous for getting rid of, then lying about losing… but I have a further concept, far too.
AirTag tales even though touring
Due to the fact AirTags have been unveiled in 2021, we have observed a handful of stories about how they’ve been applied to observe down misplaced baggage. In a person instance, an airline employee in Florida was caught with above $15,000 of stolen luggage thanks to an AirTag. Another story noticed newlyweds returning from their honeymoon keep track of down dropped baggage working with an AirTag.
In simple fact, there was even a quick controversy when German airline Lufthansa mentioned it was banning AirTags from checked bags, contacting the merchandise tracker a “dangerous excellent.” The airline eventually walked back this statement, but without any information on why it ever manufactured the announcement in the initial location.
CNN has the specifics on a different scenario of Apple’s AirTag exposing airline carelessness with checked luggage. In this occasion, a traveler on United Airways was told that her checked luggage experienced been remaining behind, but was safe and sound at a “distribution center.”
Even with this claim, nonetheless, the traveler, Valerie Szybala, viewed as the AirTag in her baggage traveled through Washington D.C., from local malls to residential spots and far more.
In essence, Szybala had opted to let United Airlines to deliver the bag instantly to her, alternatively than touring back again to the airport herself to decide on it up. This shipping and delivery services is seemingly handled by a third-party firm with which United Airways contracts:
What she hadn’t bargained on was the “crazy weather” and “implosion” of Southwest Airways. Despite the fact that she was flying United, her layover was by using a Southwest hub. So it wasn’t a big surprise when she arrived in D.C. to be educated by her United application that her bag hadn’t made it.
In truth, the bag did get there in D.C. the following working day, December 29. But it would not be until eventually January 2 when she received her fingers on it. She took up United’s provide to have the bag shipped immediate to her home, instead than return to the airport to decide it up in particular person. “That’s wherever I manufactured a massive error, letting them hand it to a third bash,” she claims.
Szybala chronicled her luggage’s journey throughout Washington D.C. on Twitter, observing stops at a McDonald’s, a nearby mall, and a multi-working day keep at an condominium advanced.
Eventually, the luggage did finally make its way back to Szybala. She credits the AirTag with assisting her hold an eye on her bag – and exposing some of the untrue info fed to her by United Airlines. She now encourages everyone touring to adhere an AirTag in their luggage:
For Szybala, the tale isn’t over. “I think United requires to respond to for these methods,” she instructed CNN. “Is it standard follow that people today can acquire passengers’ baggage residence with them? I experience like they owe me an rationalization. I really don’t feel I’d have bought it again if I didn’t have the Airtag, if I did not publish a viral tweet or get media notice.”
Her advice to tourists? “A tracking unit is super useful if you have any kind of relationship. Consider a picture of the contents — I wish I’d experienced a listing of items in my bag. And if they say they’ll provide, really don’t accept — just say you are going to decide it up, even if the airport is two several hours away.”
9to5Mac’s Acquire

I have traveled a ton in the previous calendar year – taking above 40 flights in 2022 and around a dozen so significantly in 2023. As a person deep in the Apple ecosystem, I knew from the commence that I would set an AirTag in my baggage – whether I was checking the bag or even holding it on my particular person as a carry-on.
In addition to serving to maintain track of lacking baggage, I have yet another pleasurable use case for AirTags for checked baggage. At the time I deplane at my last spot, I use the Obtain My application on my Iphone to view my AirTag-outfitted bag make its way to baggage claim.
This permits me to just take my time obtaining to baggage declare and prevent for any errands I have to have to do fairly than rush to baggage declare only to stand there aimlessly for 20 minutes. For occasion, I oftentimes quit and grab a coffee and pick up my rental auto keys when monitoring the locale of my checked bag on my Iphone.
Have you produced AirTags a aspect of your vacation system? Has Apple’s merchandise tracker demonstrated valuable? Let us know in the opinions.
Adhere to Probability: Threads, Twitter, Instagram, and Mastodon
FTC: We use income earning car affiliate inbound links. More.