It’s fair to say that airports and airlines aren’t the most organized and reliable at the moment.
Due to staff shortages and an influx of summer travelers, some of Canada’s major airports are experiencing baggage claim chaos, overflowing with hundreds of lost and forgotten items.
It’s so bad that an Air Canada traveler still hasn’t received her lost luggage after 15 days of her vacation.
No luggage is safe, but all hope of smooth travel is not lost.
A flight attendant on TikTok says there’s one thing you can do that “guarantees your checked baggage won’t get lost on your next flight.”
CiCi, who has been a flight attendant for four years and shares travel tips on social media, strongly recommends passengers buy an Apple AirTag.
“Several people have used Apple AirTags to locate their lost bags,” she explained in the video. “Well, just grab one of these little fellas and stash it in your checked baggage, just in case.”
@cici_inthesky Do you use Air Tags when you travel? #Lost Baggage #Airtags #TravelInsurance #Travelhack #FlightCrew ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
CiCi cleverly calls it an “insurance policy.”
How does it work?
For those unfamiliar with AirTag, it’s a tracking device developed by Apple to act as a key finder, helping people locate personal items like keys, a wallet, vehicles, and even luggage.
The small, round device automatically connects to your phone after activation. You can label the AirTag based on the item it tracks.
To find your items, use the Find My app, which you’re probably familiar with if, like me, you constantly misplace your phone around your own home.
CiCi demonstrates what the tracking looks like on her TikTok below. Bluetooth signals show the AirTag on a map in the Find My app.
@cici_inthesky reply to @kathiecole1 #greenscreenvideo @cici_inthesky #travelhacks #airtag #flightattendant #flightattendantlife #flightcrew #airplanetips #flighttipsandtricks ♬ Original sound – CICi
A pack of AirTags costs about $40 on Apple’s website. Android users can use Tile, a device that also tracks personal belongings.
Does it really work?
Angus An flew from Vancouver to Calgary to Amsterdam to Barcelona. With so many connecting flights, the risk of luggage being left behind is higher.
And that’s exactly what happened to An. He told the Daily Hive that his luggage didn’t make the flight in Calgary.
Luckily An had an AirTag in his luggage so he could keep track of where he was even if there was no update from the airline.
“I knew it could catch the next flight and be in Barcelona within 24 hours. but [the airline] wasn’t able to find it,” he said. “I used AirTag to find out where it was in the terminal and looked for it myself when nobody helped.”
This was An’s first time using AirTag and he’s glad it worked.
He recommends AirTag users to track baggage themselves and not rely so much on airport staff.
“Once it gets on the next flight, just go to the airport and get it from the carousel,” he explained. “If you leave it to the staff, you won’t see it for a very long time.”