Frequent flier Kelly Laing lost her luggage late last month while traveling from Toronto, Ontario, to Saint John, New Brunswick, but found some solace from being able to track her suitcase using an Apple AirTag she smartly stashed inside — reports Global News.
“It’s an hour and a half flight. I was there early, ready to go. I checked my one bag of luggage for that flight, got on the airline. It was again a little delayed. I landed in Saint John, got off right away, went to the baggage pick-up and my luggage wasn’t there,” said Laing.
She shared her story in a series of TikTok videos, and Laing wasn’t the only passenger on her flight who lost their checked luggage. Saint John was hosting the Memorial Cup at the time, and things in the city were busier than usual.
Unlike other affected passengers, however, Laing had placed an AirTag inside her luggage for “peace of mind.” The decision definitely saved her some distress.
Apple launched its AirTag for $29 USD ($39 CAD) in April 2021 to help customers keep track of their belongings and more. AirTags rely on the Find My network, which comprises over one billion Apple devices globally.
Airport officials couldn’t assist Laing with her luggage, and her airline wasn’t of much help either. “No notifications from Air Canada, no emails updating us on our luggage. The only thing I had was that tracker and if I didn’t have it, I would probably be worrying a lot more,” she said.
“First thing I did was flip open my phone, look for my AirTag to find my luggage, and I could see that its location was saying Toronto Pearson [Airport].”
Laing tracked her missing luggage for five days before airport authorities finally retrieved it.
“On the app on Find My Device, you can see exactly where your luggage is, where that AirTag is. So I was watching it for five days. Pearson day one: not moving; day two: not moving; day three: not moving … luckily enough, day five I saw it had gotten to Moncton and then it made its way to Saint John.”
She then drove to the airport, where she was reunited with her lost belongings upon presenting her ID. Even if you can’t immediately retrieve something you’ve lost, it helps to know where it is at all times.
Last month, a Toronto resident was able to track down and recover his stolen Range Rover using the AirTags he had left inside it.
