Lorraine Pedersen was traveling from Toronto to Winnipeg in October 2023 on a WestJet flight. Upon arrival, her suitcase was nowhere to be found. The woman, who was on a business trip, was desperate. Her clothes, makeup, and other significant items were all in the suitcase.

However, Pedersen had brought an AirTag, a tiny device that can be placed on objects to track their location through Apple’s Find My app. The app showed Pedersen that her suitcase was in Kingston, Jamaica, about 3,000 kilometers away from Winnipeg.

Pedersen immediately alerted WestJet to the location of her suitcase, but the airline refused to believe her. WestJet representatives claimed that there were no flights from Toronto to Kingston that day, so Pedersen’s suitcase could not be there.

Pedersen did not believe WestJet’s claims. She saw the information from the AirTag with her own eyes, so she knew her suitcase was in Jamaica. She decided to take matters into her own hands and contacted Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

The airport staff confirmed to Pedersen that her suitcase was there. They said it arrived on a Swoop flight, a subsidiary of WestJet.

WestJet refused to transport Pedersen’s suitcase back to Toronto. So she had to wait two weeks for her suitcase to arrive on another flight.

When her suitcase arrived in Toronto, it was marked as if it had been searched. Many of her belongings were missing, including her makeup, medication, and a birthday gift she had received from her mother.

She said she was “very disappointed” with WestJet. “I can’t believe a large airline could lose my luggage and then refuse to return it,” she said.

Her story is an example of how AirTags can help people locate their lost or stolen luggage. However, it’s important to note that AirTags are not perfect. In some cases, it can be challenging to locate the exact position of an AirTag, especially if it’s in a building or a car.

If you are traveling with an AirTag, it is important to follow these tips to maximize the chances of finding your luggage if it is lost:

• Make sure your AirTag is properly placed in your suitcase. It shouldn’t be hidden or covered with anything that could block its Bluetooth signal.
• Update your emergency contacts with the location of your AirTag. This will help them assist you in locating your luggage if it is lost.
• If you lose your luggage, use the Find My app to find it. If your AirTag is within range of an iPhone or iPad, you should be able to see its location in the app.
• If you can’t locate your luggage with the Find My app, you can contact the airport or airline you are traveling with.