Air Canada and Apple Air Tags - Collaboration

[CDNPolar]

For me, it's about time.

 

Air Canada have announced a collaboration with Apple where iPhone users with iOS 18.2 can share the location of an item with third parties including airlines.  Apparently Air Canada is working with Apple to integrate the Air Tag location system into their luggage handling system.

 

https://apple.news/Ag5qt-OzOSEC3sE23gl3CFQ

 

Love this.

 

We have air tags and have had luggage delays a few times with air tags, where we know where the luggage is but the airline did not - one example was British Air who misplaced same bag both outbound and return.  When we talked with BA on the phone and told them we know where the bag was, their response was, "that is all well and good but we cannot see that ourselves, so the bag will have to go through the normal delay/lost process" and they were not interested in us sharing a screen shot or anything verbal about where the bag was.

 

There are many airlines now - Air Canada, Delta, and others - that are beefing up their luggage tracking systems and for me this is about time.  Why not play off of a system that so many are already using?  The problem with airline specific systems - to me - is that they work now in limited capacity where they have the scanning or tracking technology to follow the bag.  Most airlines cannot do this everywhere around the world.  

 

[Queen of Oakville]

interesting.  I've contemplated air tags but can't swallow the price.  What else do you use them for?

[CDNPolar]

5 minutes ago, Queen of Oakville said:

interesting.  I've contemplated air tags but can't swallow the price.  What else do you use them for?

 

You can get a 4 pack for $107 on Amazon right now and if you wait for Black Friday you will likely get more of a deal.

 

You can put one on a dog's collar if they have a habit of running off...

 

You can put one around the neck of a senior that likewise because of dementia could wander.

 

You can put one in your purse so that if you ever leave it somewhere you can locate it.

 

Some attach them to their phone, some to their wallet.

 

You can be creative and put them on anything you don't want to lose.

 

Even in the house, you can make them play a sound if they are on your keychain and you cannot find your keys.

[Queen of Oakville]

Thanks for the suggestions .... I'm probably right in thinking we would not have any need for them when not being used for luggage (no pets, parents in LTC, etc.).  I'm pretty organized with keys. 

 

The 4-pack for 107 does sound like a deal.  May not be a bad idea to get them just for travel.  Is there a battery or do you have to charge them?

[Queen of Oakville]

I found the $107 4-pack and put them in my car for now.

 

Found these too - much cheaper and claims they are compatible with "find my"

Smart Tracker Air Tags-4 Pack,Bluetooth Luggage Tracker,Works with Apple Find My (iOS Only),Lightweight Item Locator Prevent Loss of Key,Bag,Wallet,Suitcase,IP67 Waterproof and Battery Replaceable : Amazon.ca: Electronics

[Travelexpert35]

Will have to look at buying some Apple air tags. Finally Air Canada and other airlines realize they can utilize their technology. 

[CDNPolar]

27 minutes ago, Queen of Oakville said:

Thanks for the suggestions .... I'm probably right in thinking we would not have any need for them when not being used for luggage (no pets, parents in LTC, etc.).  I'm pretty organized with keys. 

 

The 4-pack for 107 does sound like a deal.  May not be a bad idea to get them just for travel.  Is there a battery or do you have to charge them?

 

25 minutes ago, Queen of Oakville said:

I found the $107 4-pack and put them in my car for now.

 

Found these too - much cheaper and claims they are compatible with "find my"

Smart Tracker Air Tags-4 Pack,Bluetooth Luggage Tracker,Works with Apple Find My (iOS Only),Lightweight Item Locator Prevent Loss of Key,Bag,Wallet,Suitcase,IP67 Waterproof and Battery Replaceable : Amazon.ca: Electronics

 

Wait for Amazon to do Black Friday sale.  Air Tags have been as low - if memory serves me - as $50 for 4.

I cannot recommend any other brand - especially a non-Apple brand - as I believe in Apple, but we are an Apple ecosystem in my home.

 

We don't use them for any other purpose other than travelling.

[bookbabe]

Good for Air Canada!  Hopefully other airlines follow their lead.

 

For parents, the best use of an AirTag I’ve seen was the idea to hide one inside your child’s fav stuffie that they insist on taking on vacation, so that when they drop it or forget it somewhere you can track its location and hopefully retrieve it.

[Middleager]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

You can put one on a dog's collar if they have a habit of running off...

Good for wife who runs away often.  Got to think of a good place to put it.

[Senga]

We only use ours for travel and just received notification that the batteries need to be changed.  Since we're not travelling again until March 19th I'm going to hold off replacing them until then.  Our neighbour puts his in his vehicle and our son has one on the collar of their husky who would be a runner if the opportunity presented itself.

[millybess]

We've had AirTags in our luggage for years.

 

A couple of years ago we were in Athens with a tight connection to Santorini.  When we arrived in Santorini, we were able to tell the baggage people in Santorini that our bags were still in Athens.

 

Our bags arrived in Santorini the next day.  Staff at our hotel went to the airport to pick up the bags, and we were able to tell them, shortly after they left the airport, that they forgot one.  They were able to turn around and retrieve it very quickly.

 

AirTags are very useful and I'm happy Air Canada has finally taken it on, unlike Lufthansa who banned them for a time.

 

Now if only Luggage Forward would allow them.....

 

BTW, we both have them in our cars and also on our dog's collar.  We have also bought AirTags as presents for our children's dogs.

[CDNPolar]

17 hours ago, Senga said:

We only use ours for travel and just received notification that the batteries need to be changed.  Since we're not travelling again until March 19th I'm going to hold off replacing them until then.  Our neighbour puts his in his vehicle and our son has one on the collar of their husky who would be a runner if the opportunity presented itself.

 

I routinely change the batteries every 18 months - it is on the calendar.  Batteries are not that expensive, so I just do it.

 

11 hours ago, millybess said:

We've had AirTags in our luggage for years.

 

A couple of years ago we were in Athens with a tight connection to Santorini.  When we arrived in Santorini, we were able to tell the baggage people in Santorini that our bags were still in Athens.

 

Our bags arrived in Santorini the next day.  Staff at our hotel went to the airport to pick up the bags, and we were able to tell them, shortly after they left the airport, that they forgot one.  They were able to turn around and retrieve it very quickly.

 

AirTags are very useful and I'm happy Air Canada has finally taken it on, unlike Lufthansa who banned them for a time.

 

Now if only Luggage Forward would allow them.....

 

BTW, we both have them in our cars and also on our dog's collar.  We have also bought AirTags as presents for our children's dogs.

 

When we headed to Cairo for out Nile cruise, my husband's bag did not make it past Heathrow.  We arrived in Cairo and his bag was sitting very lonely in T5 at Heathrow.

 

This was BA.  We talked to BA and they were ones that said to us, we cannot see where your bag is even if you can, so it will have to be dealt with the way we deal with every bag.

 

Long story short, we watched the bag as it flew from Heathrow to Athens then to Cairo and then to Aswan.  This was three days later.  Our ship was about to leave port and the crew were very good in checking on the bag as the cruise line (Uniworld) was bringing the bag from Cairo for us.  We noted that the bag was only two blocks away, and the ship waited for the bag to arrive at the ship before leaving port. 

 

This was a time when we were so thankful for the Air Tags or we would have gone another day without the bag.

 

 

[rodndonna]

With the improvements in Air Canada's technology in the last couple of years where it pings you when(if) your bag was loaded on the plane and such I was thinking ... nahhh...But.. we have at least 3 flights coming up in the next year with golf bags.. which are part of the dreaded oversize department and generally at higher risk of delay (and fear of theft).

 

I think we will get them for our golf travel bags. 🤔

[bookbabe]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

This was BA.  We talked to BA and they were ones that said to us, we cannot see where your bag is even if you can, so it will have to be dealt with the way we deal with every bag.

 

According to an article on cNet, which I found via the CrankyFlier weekly digest, BA and a bunch of other airlines are also joining the AirTag luggage program.

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-airtag-partnership-with-airlines-hints-at-an-end-to-lost-luggage/

 

[CDNPolar]

6 hours ago, bookbabe said:

According to an article on cNet, which I found via the CrankyFlier weekly digest, BA and a bunch of other airlines are also joining the AirTag luggage program.

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-airtag-partnership-with-airlines-hints-at-an-end-to-lost-luggage/

 

Good... there is nothing more daunting than pushing off from the gate knowing your luggage is still in the terminal building.  

 

Air Tags make it better to track, but also raise your anxiety sooner as you may know sooner that your luggage is not with you.

 

Cautionary note to those that have not used them yet. Air Tags require other Apple devices that can communicate with Bluetooth.  There are many times that we have thought out luggage may not be with us in the cargo hold, but it was....

 

Here is a ChatGPT explanation why you may not see your luggage near you...

 

Apple AirTags work by leveraging Bluetooth technology to communicate with nearby Apple devices in the Find My network. These devices anonymously and securely relay the AirTag’s location to iCloud, where you can see it on a map in the Find My app. Here's how and why they might not always appear close to you, even when they're on the plane:

 

How AirTags Work

1.  

2. Bluetooth Communication: AirTags use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with nearby Apple devices. They do not have GPS but rely on Apple's network of devices.

3. Find My Network: When an AirTag is near an Apple device, that device transmits its location to Apple's servers anonymously and securely.

4. Your Access: You can check the AirTag's location in the Find My app. If no Apple device is nearby, the AirTag’s location will not update until one comes close.

5.  

---

 

Why They Might Not Show as Close to You

 

1. No Nearby Apple Devices: If your AirTag is on a plane and there are no Apple devices nearby to relay its location, the location will not update.

2. Flight Mode Interference: Many passengers turn on airplane mode during a flight, disabling Bluetooth and preventing their devices from contributing to the Find My network.

3. Cabin Proximity: If your luggage is in the cargo hold, the AirTag may not have a strong enough Bluetooth signal to reach devices in the cabin.

4. Delayed Updates: The Find My network is designed for energy efficiency, so location updates are not instantaneous. There might be a delay in the AirTag’s location appearing on your app.

5. Signal Blockage: Airplane construction, including thick metal walls and other materials, can interfere with Bluetooth signals.

6.  

---

 

How to Troubleshoot

 

• Wait for Updates: Once the plane lands and passengers turn off airplane mode, the AirTag may reconnect to nearby Apple devices and update its location.
• Proximity Check: Use the Find My app’s Precision Finding feature if you are close to the AirTag and have a compatible iPhone.
• Last Known Location: The app might show the last known location until the AirTag can connect to the Find My network again.

 

Understanding these factors can help set expectations about the performance of AirTags, especially during flights.

[bookbabe]

20 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Cautionary note to those that have not used them yet. Air Tags require other Apple devices that can communicate with Bluetooth.  There are many times that we have thought out luggage may not be with us in the cargo hold, but it was....

 

I’ve thought that a few times, but my reassurance has always been the time of last contact.  If the last update was in the origin airport pre-departure, it’s likely on the plane and will get pinged for an update soon.  If the luggage shows as having been updated since departure and shows the origin airport, that’s when I start to worry.

[WESTEAST]

@CDNPolar Thank you for posting these articles - we use AirTags when travelling and are most helpful in alleviating stress about luggage location.

[Oceangoer2]

Tried air tags with Samsung phone; we don't use Apple technology.  They didn't work, my phone is too old.  One day there will be a universal tag that works with all systems?

[CDNPolar]

34 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Tried air tags with Samsung phone; we don't use Apple technology.  They didn't work, my phone is too old.  One day there will be a universal tag that works with all systems?

Apple Air Tags?  They won’t work full function across platforms.  

 

You can buy Samsung compatible tags.  
 

 

[Oceangoer2]

8 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Apple Air Tags?  They won’t work full function across platforms.  

 

You can buy Samsung compatible tags.  
 

 

I was posing the possibility that SOMEDAY there may be a tag that works on all systems.    Samsung tag  does NOT work on older generation phones. I should be clearer when posting. I bought some from Amazon and returned them.

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I was posing the possibility that SOMEDAY there may be a tag that works on all systems.    Samsung tag  does NOT work on older generation phones. I should be clearer when posting. I bought some from Amazon and returned them.

 

Got it.... sorry - I misread too...

 

It would be nice if someday there was ONE platform, but I fear that that won't happen.  Each platform/company is trying to outdo the other with their innovations.

[Queen of Oakville]

On 11/16/2024 at 9:05 AM, Queen of Oakville said:

I found the $107 4-pack and put them in my car for now.

 

Found these too - much cheaper and claims they are compatible with "find my"

Smart Tracker Air Tags-4 Pack,Bluetooth Luggage Tracker,Works with Apple Find My (iOS Only),Lightweight Item Locator Prevent Loss of Key,Bag,Wallet,Suitcase,IP67 Waterproof and Battery Replaceable : Amazon.ca: Electronics

 

For anyone who was waiting to buy AirTags, the prices is down to 98.99

[millybess]

5 hours ago, Queen of Oakville said:

 

For anyone who was waiting to buy AirTags, the prices is down to 98.99

Where did you find that?  Usually the price for a 4 pack is $130.

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, millybess said:

Where did you find that?  Usually the price for a 4 pack is $130.

Look at Amazon.ca

[millybess]

2 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Look at Amazon.ca

Thanks much.  You gotta love those 4 packs -- 2 checked and 2 carryons.  😊