AirTag: rescuing lost luggage from airport limbo, one bag at a time

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AirTag: rescuing lost luggage from airport limbo, one bag at a time
Every now and then, we come across stories about Apple AirTag coming to the rescue, not necessarily for a whole bunch of people, but at least for someone or something – like stolen goods or lost luggage. And now, we've got another success story starring an AirTag.

Daily Hive (via Apple Insider) tells the story of Winston Sih, a Canadian who managed to find his lost luggage thanks to his iPhone 14 and an AirTag, despite the airline's lack of assistance. Winston Sih was all set to fly from Chicago to Toronto, but, as you probably know, flight cancellations happen quite often. His plans derailed, and he was rerouted to Washington, DC, courtesy of United Airlines. That's when the story of his missing luggage begins.

United Airlines assured Sih that his suitcase would be put on the right flight, but that didn't pan out as he waited for it at Toronto Pearson International Airport. After questioning the airline about the whereabouts of his luggage, it promised to deliver it to his home. However, thanks to his AirTag, Sih saw that his luggage was still at Washington Dulles Airport.

Once again, he had to request that his bag be sent to Pearson, and United claimed it was already in Toronto. The AirTag came to the rescue again, showing that the bag hadn't moved from the Washington airport at all. United finally arranged for the bag to be put on an Air Canada flight to Toronto, but things took a turn for the worse due to multiple planes being involved, as Sih recalled.

Two airlines and a lost bag enter an airport...


Amidst the confusion and a lack of coordination between the airlines regarding the bag's delivery to Sih's home, the bag was taken off the baggage carousel at Pearson and left unattended in the baggage hall for a full day. When Sih contacted the airlines to inform them that he still hadn't received his bag, they insisted it was still in Washington based on their systems.

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However, his iPhone was telling a different story, showing that the AirTag and the bag were indeed in Toronto. Sih explained that "It would update every few minutes when it would ping off someone’s phone.

Both airlines assured him they'd take care of his bag and get it to him promptly. "Unfortunately no one did," Sih lamented, as he continued to observe his bag staying put at Pearson for another day. His hope of retrieving his bag began to dwindle, and he took matters into his own hands by heading to Pearson himself.
 
Sih recounted, "I bounced back and forth between United Airlines and Air Canada staff. They don’t have clear baggage offices after security/customs, which would be a good idea." Fortunately, he encountered an Air Canada staff member who permitted him to enter the secure baggage area. Using his iPhone 14, Sih was able to pinpoint his bag's location "thanks to the AirTag," he added.

Since this isn't the first or last time we'll hear about an AirTag saving the day, you might want to think about slapping one on your luggage the next time you fly.

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