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Yes, you can put an Apple AirTag in your checked airline luggage
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Considering airlines have been doing a terrible job of keeping tabs on luggage lately, anApple AirTagor a similar tracker from Tile has been a shrewd investment.
At least it seemed that way, until reps from the German airline Lufthansa started telling people on social media that AirTags in checked luggage posed a safety risk and were hence banned from the cargo hold. That was due to the presence of a lithium battery that can’t be turned off.
However, the airline itself has now clarified theyareallowed (because of the small amount of lithium) and now the United States’ Federal Aviation Authority has confirmed it has no beef with travellers popping an AirTag in their checked bags.
“Luggage tracking devices powered by lithium metal cells that have 0.3 grams or less of lithium can be used on checked baggage,” the FAA said in a statement toThe Points Guy(viaEngadget). “Apple AirTags meet this threshold; other luggage tracking devices may not.”
For what its worth, a single AirTag has just 0.1g of lithium. So, you can travel with your AirTag without risk of the airline nicking it, or you getting in any trouble with the law.
Lufthansa’s initial stance was based on guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization. However, those guidelines are just that. Local authorities like the European Aviation Safety Agency, and Luftfahrtbundesamt in Germany, make the final call.
Neither of those two had banned AirTags, so Lufthansa didn’t have to either. With this much confusion at the airline, it’s no wonder Henry Hill and the rest of the Goodfellas had such an easy job robbing them blind at Idlewild airport in the late 70s.
AirTags are a great option for travellers because they can use Apple’s Find My network to provide a precise location (based on the thousands of Apple devices out there in the wild) when your bag isn’t where it should be.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
