AIRTAGS: My luggage has entered the 21st Century

Last week I ordered some Apple AirTags and Belkin holders for them. I ordered a 4-pack so I can share them with my husband. I’m a week or so away from my second international trip – if New Zealand counts – since the pandemic started. With horrific tales of baggage delays losses, and in some cases not even travelling on the same flight, I thought an external tracking device might be advantageous.

I’m in Adelaide at the moment and test driving my new techie AirTags. I’ve basically left the notifications on default, so every time I leave my hotel, I get an alert that I have left a bag behind. This is unnecessary, since I meant to leave my carry-on luggage in the hotel room, and could soon get annoying. However, I just want to see how the Find My notifications work before I adjust the settings.

I’m very impressed so far, with it locating one tag in my hotel room and the other back in Sydney at home. I suppose the real test will be when I leave a bag unintentionally somewhere, or when airline baggage services misplace my checked luggage. At the moment, I’m contemplating getting more of the tags so I have one for each piece of luggage and don’t have to move my AirTags around depending on what bags I’m taking. The novelty might soon wear off!

2PAXfly Takeout

The aviation industry has a difficult road ahead when it comes to sustainability. It’s going to require a relative revolution in technology, with ‘electric planes’ or hydrogen planes, or some form of jet engine that doesn’t require a carbon based fuel. And that is going to require the development of an alternative to jet engines probably.

It’s a big ask. It will take time to develop.

This move to home grown and manufactured SAF is a first step – maybe even a baby step in a very long road of innovation. In the long run, US$200 million won’t even touch the sides.

So far the usual intuitive apple ‘Find My’ application software has impressed me with its ability to locate my AirTags, and the luggage they are attached to. Its proximity alert system messages me when me – or rather my phone and the tags are parted. This ability to pro-actively advise me when I am parted too far from my luggage will be a boon, if we are ever parted mindlessly, or by the abuse of an airline.

Let’s just hope I never have to act on the alert!