German Airline Lufthansa Not Banning AirTags After All

[MacRumors]

German airline Lufthansa today said that it will not be banning AirTags and other Bluetooth trackers from checked luggage. After receiving guidance from German Aviation Authorities, Lufthansa confirmed that AirTags do not pose a safety risk in luggage because of their low battery and transmission power.

The airline made headlines over the weekend after informing passengers that AirTags would need to be turned off in checked baggage because of guidelines imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Lufthansa suggested AirTags were subject to the ICAO's dangerous goods regulation because of their transmission function, and that they needed to be "deactivated" during flight as a result.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1580275638690541568

AirTags are not able to be turned off without taking the battery out of the device, so the only solution would be not to have an activated AirTag in checked luggage. Many Apple users have taken to including AirTags in their bags for tracking purposes, so Lufthansa's stance was a surprise to consumers.

Apple in a statement this week to The New York Times said that AirTags were not dangerous and were in fact "compliant with international airline travel safety regulations for carry-on and checked baggage."

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration also confirmed to The New York Times that AirTags are permitted in both carry-on and checked luggage, as are other Bluetooth-based trackers from companies like Tile.

Article Link: German Airline Lufthansa Not Banning AirTags After All

 

[TheLisnakFactor]

Having AirTags in bags is the only way to travel. I have them in every bag and can tell before we even take off if my bag has made the flight. Also makes waiting for bags a breeze.

I would have immediately stopped using this airline. Or ignored them over this.

 

[bwillwall]

Did nobody at the airline think to double check why no other major airlines have done this if it's in any way an issue? Aren't planes literally always full of devices with lithium batteries and radio signals etc...

 

[ian87w]

Anybody that tried it (putting airtags on checked luggages), how did you guys do it? Did you just drop the airtags inside the luggage, or use one of those accessories to attach it externally? And how good does it work?

 

[tastesliketailpipe]

Anybody that tried it (putting airtags on checked luggages), how did you guys do it? Did you just drop the airtags inside the luggage, or use one of those accessories to attach it externally? And how good does it work?

Externally will surely drop off.

Put it inside under the lining so that it’s closest to the outside of your suitcase and no stuff in between.

 

[KaliYoni]

Anybody that tried it (putting airtags on checked luggages), how did you guys do it? Did you just drop the airtags inside the luggage, or use one of those accessories to attach it externally? And how good does it work?

Have a look at this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/whats-your-experience-w-airtags-in-checked-luggage.2348721/

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For anybody interested, there is an earlier thread about the Lufthansa AirTag situation, including links to more stories verifying the rumor was false, here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/lufthansa-is-starting-to-ban-airtags-in-checked-luggage.2364507/

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A key fact about AirTags that pointed to a false rumor is that
"The IATA's warning specifies that "non-removable batteries exceeding 0.3 g lithium metal must be removed before boarding. In its Dangerous Goods Regulation document, when installed in electronics, 'lithium metal content must not exceed 2g'.

But according to battery manufacturer Energizer, its CR2032 batteries typically contain just 0.109 g of lithium. Duracell reports the lithium metal content of its version at 0.07 g. Both levels are well below IATA's risk thresholds."

Are Airlines Really About to Start Banning Apple AirTags? | Frommer's

Are Lufthansa and other airlines really about to ban Apple AirTags from checked luggage? | Frommer's

www.frommers.com

 

[AlyMourad]

Anybody that tried it (putting airtags on checked luggages), how did you guys do it? Did you just drop the airtags inside the luggage, or use one of those accessories to attach it externally? And how good does it work?

I just dropped mine into my bag inside pocket.

They work great. It’s good to able to confirm the bags did arrive while I wait at the baggage claim.

Fortunately the 2 times I’ve used the AirTag my bags arrived. But I can only imagine how helpful they will be if the bags were lost too.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I love AirTags. They are very helpful and efficient while traveling on board.

 

[NervousFish2]

This is one area where, for me, AirTags really shine. You can tell if your bags arrived within minutes. Equally, if they are still hundreds of miles away, you can tell that too, and get to the top of the lost luggage line before everyone else on your flight!

 

[macguru212]

Having AirTags in bags is the only way to travel. I have them in every bag and can tell before we even take off if my bag has made the flight. Also makes waiting for bags a breeze.

I would have immediately stopped using this airline. Or ignored them over this.

thank you! I have a few extra AirTags without purpose. But now....

 

[DotCom2]

What do most do, inside luggage or out?

 

[Robert.Walter]

Probably somebody in the lost baggage office went insane to the sound of hundreds of AirTags peeping.

 

[teh_hunterer]

What do most do, inside luggage or out?

Why put it outside? It advertises that your bag is likely to have some good stuff in there to steal, as well as providing an easy way to remove the tracking device from it.

 

[Jandalf]

people do carry stronger batteries in their luggage (electric tooth Brush?).
Don’t understand why it takes so long to admit, that it’s not harmful: no electronic devices on flight, take off and landing - that took ages to loosen those regulations, sigh

 

[rictus007]

Having AirTags in bags is the only way to travel. I have them in every bag and can tell before we even take off if my bag has made the flight. Also makes waiting for bags a breeze.

I would have immediately stopped using this airline. Or ignored them over this.

Delta and JetBlue (unsure about any other) send your a message once they they get your bags inside the plane. It is quite accurate, I actually saw someone scanning my bag and I received a message few seconds later….. but I’m like you, I use AirTags for every bag (even carry on)

 

[contacos]

Did nobody at the airline think to double check why no other major airlines have done this if it's in any way an issue? Aren't planes literally always full of devices with lithium batteries and radio signals etc...

It’s Germany. We are also the only country in Europe about to bring back the mask indoors while people don’t drop dead on mass in surrounding countries.

Anyway, kind of pointless since Lufthansa keeps notifying you about the status of your luggage anyway

 

[SoldOnApple]

The PR damage is already done.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

So they need to explain why my luggage is in Berlin and not with me in Amsterdam after all.

 

[DanteHicks79]

Whacha tryna hide, Lufty? 😂

 

[Wildkraut]

Having AirTags in bags is the only way to travel. I have them in every bag and can tell before we even take off if my bag has made the flight. Also makes waiting for bags a breeze.

I would have immediately stopped using this airline. Or ignored them over this.

So you didn’t travel before April 2021?

 

[dukebound85]

So you didn’t travel before April 2021?

what kind of comment is this?

 

[Wildkraut]

The previous ban was BS.

Anyway, i see no benefit tracking a bag on a flight, if it’s lost it’s lost, they won’t allow you to enter any secured places, where you think it might be. Nor would i call to a foreign country, trying to get someone there on the phone to go hunt my bag across the airport. If it’s not on your flight, all you can do is look dumb on FindMy and cry.

Filing a support ticket and be patient is all you can do anyway to get your bag back.

 

[Wildkraut]

what kind of comment is this?

Well, if having an AirTag in his bag is the „only way“ to travel, i just wonder how he traveled when AirTags didn’t exist. AirTags got released in 2021, April.

 

[DBHart]

Considering that Lufthansa was one of two airlines that misplaced my luggage this summer and couldn't tell me where one of the bags was, I'm glad that they saw the light. I've traveled with the AirTags in my luggage since this summer's mess.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Anyway, i see no benefit tracking a bag on a flight, if it’s lost it’s lost

Yeah, I don't really see much benefit either.

Bags are almost never "lost" anymore...

Sometimes they end up in other places/flights, but they are getting scanned continuously and the airlines basically always know where they are and get them where they need to be, even if delayed.