Lufthansa Bans AirTags: Will Other Airlines Follow?

With so many reports of lost luggage, many travelers have taken matters into their own hands and tracked their luggage. An interesting precedent has been set by the fact that this isn't allowed.

You can keep track of your stuff with Apple AirTags. Attach them to an item and you can use your Apple device to find it. These are very popular for checked bags when travelling.

It is great to always know where your bag is when you travel with an airline. It helps when your bag is lost or delayed.

I haven't heard of any airlines banning these until now. AirTags are not allowed in checked bags, according to German media.

Baggage trackers are subject to dangerous goods regulations due to their fall in the category of portable electronic devices. The transmission function is what makes this possible. The transmission function needs to be turned off in checked luggage, just as it is in cell phones, laptops, etc., according to the airline.

An AirTag can be left in a checked bag, but it can't transmit, so it's useless. No other airline has issued a similar ban, and international aviation authorities haven't issued any warnings about AirTags.

Will other airlines follow Lufthansa’s lead?

There are a couple of interesting developments on this front.

I am not surprised that Lufthansa is the first airline to ban this. The airline has had a bad summer when it comes to lost bags and I had a delayed bag experience.

I think some airlines don't like the idea of travelers knowing where their bags are. A lot of people are frustrated with the airline because they know exactly where their bag is, and they refuse to help.

There is a big question about whether or not Lufthansa is right here. Is it true that all portable electronic devices have their transmission function disabled in checked bags? If you must pack your tablets, laptops, or mobile devices in your luggage, be sure to turn them off.

An AirTag doesn't qualify as one of those items, but it does qualify as a portable electronic device, which is defined as follows.

Any piece of lightweight, electrically-powered equipment. These devices typically are consumer electronic devices, capable of communication, data processing and/or computing. Examples are laptop computers, tablets, e-readers, smartphones, MP3 players, drones and electronic toys.

I think that an AirTag should have to be turned off because I think it's a personal electronic device. It doesn't seem to pose much of a risk of fire or anything else.

I would like to know if other airlines follow the lead of Lufthansa and ban AirTags from checked luggage.

Bottom line

AirTags have been banned from checked bags by the major airlines. The standard policy for checking personal electronic devices, which requires that they be powered off, renders Air tags useless.

I am curious to see how the industry responds to AirTags in general, since it seems like they should be banned based on current regulations.

Enforcement of this rule is a different topic.

What do you think about the regulations relating to AirTags in checked bags?