Dear readers, this has been an interesting week. On July 19, 2024, a CrowdStrike outage took down a huge amount of infrastructure, including the airlines’ core systems. However, the situation varied greatly depending on the airline. Notably, Delta Airlines did not recover as quickly as American Airlines and United Airlines, canceling 1,000 flights on the 22nd alone.
But by Monday, July 22, 2024, business was largely back on track and I was ready to fly on United Airlines to Columbus, Ohio to watch the MLS All-Star Game. I didn’t make it there, but my luggage did.
After a period of waiting, United Airlines canceled the flight because they couldn’t ensure a safe flight path due to “weather and operational” concerns. Not a pleasant outcome, but I figured I could get off and go home. But there was a problem.
I usually travel with a backpack and a carry-on bag, the latter of which has an AirTag in its inside pocket, which I’ve been carrying since Apple introduced the item tracker in 2021. I never travel without an AirTag again, and I highly recommend you get one too.
But instead of my usual carry-on strategy, I decided to check my bags in. This was my first mistake. When my flight was canceled, I was told to go to baggage claim to find my bags. I quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. Strangely, I found my bags being taken off the plane using the FindMy app on my iPhone.
I spoke with an agent near baggage claim and was told that United would deliver my luggage tomorrow…for free! It seemed like a happy ever after ending. I told the agent that my AirTag showed my luggage nearby, but they said I couldn’t “collect it in-country.” I kept an eye on the AirTag and watched my luggage bounce around Newark airport.
Hmm, that’s strange.
(Image courtesy of Future/Jacob Krol)
To my surprise, the next day the AirTug returned to the gate area and then quickly moved to a taxiway and then to the runway before I got a warning that we were in the middle of Ohio.
Instead of storing my luggage in New Jersey, United sent it to Ohio. But the problem was that none of this showed up on United’s baggage tracking system, which I’ve used without issue up until now. I called United and was told my luggage was still in New Jersey and on its way to be delivered. But when I told them I was tracking it with an AirTag, they told me it had been loaded onto a flight to Ohio.
Without Apple’s AirTags, the location of the bag would have been completely unknown. This process could have taken longer and the bag may never have been returned. The rep also told us that there are about 5,000 bags in EWR alone. Given the recent power outage and the resulting chaos, this is most likely the case.
Trust in AirTag and United
(Image courtesy of Future/Jacob Krol)
However, I spoke with another United representative on the phone, who confirmed that the AirTag had pinpointed the time of arrival, confirmed that it had arrived safely, and promised to return on the next return flight. I monitored the AirTag’s progress; I missed the first flight, but it arrived safely on the last flight from CMH to EWR, and was able to track it back to the gate, taxiway, and runway. After waiting 20 minutes for a new report from the AirTag, I saw it again over Pennsylvania.
I knew the flight number and anxiously followed it. FindMy began updating almost as soon as the plane landed (see screenshot below). But it took a long taxi from the runway to my gate and back to baggage claim in Newark Terminal C. That’s where I found FindMy for the first time after the flight was canceled.
I drove to the airport and on the way there I got a concerned email from United Airlines saying, “We are still looking for your delayed baggage…” I decided to ignore it and once inside I pulled up FindMy on my iPhone and started using the precise search, which told me to turn right about 20 feet in and directed me to my baggage next to baggage claim. We were finally reunited after over 24 hours.
I have never really felt good about using AirTags. I will never travel without them again. I have just bought a few more this week. United’s baggage tracking system works well most of the time, but when it doesn’t it is completely invisible. Without AirTags, I would not have realized my luggage was not where the airline said it would be, and it would have taken days to get it back.
It’s a carry-on essential for any air trip, whether you take it on board as checked luggage or check it in. Hopefully you’ll never have to rely on it, as it exists on Apple’s FindMy network, which uses over a billion devices to pinpoint your exact location, but the fact that it can provide turn-by-turn directions when you’re nearby and is safe to use on an airplane makes it a must-have.
It’s also an investment that continues to deliver value: Each AirTag is just $29 (or $99.99 for four), and when the batteries die, they can be replaced with off-the-shelf CR2032 batteries. I’ve been using the same AirTag since 2021, and I’ve had to replace the batteries every 12-14 months depending on usage. I’ve replaced them three times, and Apple promises about a year, but that can vary a bit.
