AirTag saves skiing gear from going missing between flights

A traveler has discovered how useful Apple's AirTags can be, by tracking down misplaced skiing equipment at an airport and ensuring it made it to a connecting flight on time.

As Apple's compact tracking device, AirTag can be used to search for lost or stolen items, as well as to warn when possessions drift away from their owner. In one traveler's case, AirTag helped prevent luggage from getting lost between connecting flights.

Ross Feinstein, writing for The Points Guy tells of a trip from New York to France, via Madrid. Since it was a skiing trip, the luggage included two checked bags containing skiing gear, along with AirTags.

After check-in in New York, he received the usual separation alert on his iPhone, then was able to confirm his airline's mobile app's information that the luggage had made it onto the plane.

On arriving in Madrid to go on a connecting flight, Feinstein had to pick up his luggage at baggage claim, as the bags couldn't be checked-through since he flew on two separate tickets. However, despite being alerted via the airline's app that the luggage had supposedly arrived at the baggage claim, he waited for 40 minutes and didn't see the bags.

Feinstein then opened up the Find My app, discovering that the bags were still at the arrival gate, left behind instead of taken to baggage claim.

The staff working in the baggage claim were surprised to see the level of detail about the bag's location on the iPhone, but quickly started to try and find out what happened to the luggage. It was then determined that the contractor responsible for moving the bag wasn't aware it was waiting to be transported to the oversize baggage belt in the baggage claim.

After a few minutes, Feinstein was reunited with his luggage, and was able to make the connecting flight.

He is confident that if he didn't have AirTags attached, he would've filed a claim for lost luggage and moved on to the connected flight. Not only would he have arrived at his destination without his ski gear, but he also wouldn't necessarily get the delayed baggage promptly either — or at all.

The story is the latest involving AirTags helping track down items that have suddenly gone missing. In May, the Apple accessory has helped a photographer recover $7,000 worth of equipment stolen while on an Australian vacation, as well as helping police track down a suspect after an armed robbery, after the suspect stole a backpack holding an AirTag.