AirTag helped a woman find her suitcase after it was sent to Jamaica

Lorraine Pedersen was travelling from Toronto to Winnipeg in October 2023 on a WestJet flight. On arrival, her suitcase was nowhere to be found. Pedersen, who was travelling on business, was distraught. Her clothes, cosmetics and other important belongings were all in the suitcase.

However, Pedersen had packed an AirTag, a small device that can be attached to items to track their location through Apple's Find My app. The app showed Pedersen that her suitcase was in Kingston, Jamaica, about 3.000 kilometres away from Winnipeg.

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

Pedersen did not believe WestJet's claims. She had seen 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.

Airport staff confirmed to Pedersen that her suitcase was there. They said it had arrived on a flight operated by Swoop, a WestJet subsidiary.

WestJet refused to transport Pedersen's suitcase back to Toronto. She therefore had to wait two weeks for her suitcase to arrive on another flight.

When her suitcase arrived in Toronto, it showed clear signs of having been searched. Many of her belongings were missing, including her cosmetics, medication and a birthday present she had received from her mother.

She said she was "very disappointed" with WestJet. "I can't believe a major 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 lost or stolen luggage. However, it is important to note that AirTags are not perfect. In some cases, it can be difficult to pinpoint an AirTag's exact location, especially if it is inside a building or a car.

If you are travelling with an AirTag, it is important to follow these tips to maximise your chances of finding your luggage if it goes missing:

• Make sure your AirTag is properly positioned in your suitcase. It should not be hidden or covered by anything that could block its Bluetooth signal.
• Let your emergency contacts know where your AirTag is. This will make it easier for them to help you find your luggage if it goes missing.
• If you lose your luggage, use the Find My app to locate 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 cannot locate your luggage using the Find My app, you can contact the airport or the airline you are travelling with.