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Lufthansa Airlines Tweets It’s Banning Apple AirTags from Luggage
Several news and media outlets reported on Saturday that Germany’s flag carrier airline, Lufthansa, is banning AirTags in checked luggage (via Boing Boing).
According to the reports, Lufthansa cited dangerous goods regulations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the basis for the ban. Since AirTags transmit their location, the airline argued they fall in the category of portable electronic devices under these regulations.
However, a Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed to Ethan Kapper of The Points Guy that the company has not banned AirTags aboard its flights — reports Live and Let’s Fly.
A Lufthansa spokesperson tells me there is no change to the carrier's policy on AirTags.
— Ethan Klapper (@ethanklapper) October 7, 2022
Another aviation publication, Airways Magazine, was also told by Lufthansa that it does not plan on banning AirTags.
In stark contrast, the official Lufthansa account on Twitter said on Saturday that the airline is indeed banning “activated AirTags” from luggage. Talk about sending mixed messages, guys.
Hi David, Lufthansa is banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off./Mony
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) October 8, 2022
Apple launched AirTags for $39 CAD ($29 USD) last year to help customers keep track of their belongings (and more). AirTags are powered by the Find My network, which comprises over one billion Apple devices across the globe.
The coin-sized tracking devices have been used to track and recover everything from lost luggage to stolen cars. News of Lufthansa banning AirTags wouldn’t be all that hard to believe, given the devices have all the potential to expose how callously most airlines treat travellers’ baggage.
Thanks to AirTags, savvy travellers have repeatedly and publicly expressed their frustrations with how airlines handle their luggage, with proof to back them up. Customers have even disclosed the delaying tactics used by airline staff when they can’t actually figure out where their luggage went since they already know its exact location.
@lufthansa just travelled ATH-MUC-CDG Business Class with 2h30 transit. Somehow you’ve lost my bag in between?! Apparently your team can’t find it (your system is down I’m told)! @Apple AirTag says it’s in Toulouse!! Can I please get my bag back before you send it somewhere else? pic.twitter.com/QxwFooJDRl
— KeepOnDiscovering (@mallo75004) August 30, 2021
Whether or not Lufthansa ultimately prohibits travellers from carrying live AirTags in checked luggage, one thing’s for sure — banning items such as AirTags presents several challenges.
Not the least of these is the enforceability of such a policy. What is Lufthansa going to do, sift through every flyer’s luggage looking for AirTags?
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If they ban them because “transmit their location” they are basing their decision on ignorance. They don’t transmit their location. They talk to iOS devices and the iOS devices transmit their location.
This is strictly to avoid embarrassment when they lose/misplace luggage.
Agreed…the airline doesn’t want customers to know where their bags are stuck at ..lol
You’d think they’d be all over something that lets customers do part of the job for them so they don’t have to. Public image is a hell of a drug.
If airlines can charge extra for Airtags they’ll allow them. #Safety
I just came back from the US and had an air tag in my luggage for the first time. It’s great to track to make sure your luggage is on your plane and also where your luggage is on the conveyor belt. Sometimes it’s hard to find your luggage on a crowded conveyor belt.
Same. Got back a couple weeks ago from
Europe and it worked great. Was able to see, roughly, as bags moved through airport, to the gate and even could tell when they were loaded onto the plane (“with you”).
The only leg that glitched a little was on the way home. Could tell it was near my plane on the tarmac (rode a bus from gate to plane) but couldn’t tell if it was on the plane. Had a connection in Vienna and it never updated there either. Wasn’t detected again until after I landed in TO but was detected before I got to the carousel.
Heading to Hanoi next week with connections both ways. Leaving them in place until the batteries die.
Is Germany still backwards on these regulations? I thought Bluetooth and WiFi were allowed during take off for almost 10 years. The planes themselves have WiFi activated during takeoff. Newer planes have Bluetooth headphones built in the seat-backs.
ICAO‘s webpage says they don’t regulate Bluetooth devices during takeoff and leave that up to airlines.
Air Canada and Norwegian Air were still enforcing airplane mode in Sept. FA’s asked people to remove their BT ear buds during takeoff.
An airline can’t just come up with a ban without approval from the government’s transport agency. Even a word or a dot that they would like to add to their announcements must be first approved by the federal transport agency.
I guess they’re embarrassed when someone’s luggage is lost and the passenger can prove where it is when airlines typically lie about it.