One of the greatest fears of a traveler is to lose luggage, misplace a wallet, or not to be able to locate a travel companion.  With all the chaos going on in travel this summer and luggage being misdirected at an unprecedented rate, there needs to be a way to find what is missing and to do that quickly.

The Traveling Professor always carries on luggage as much as possible.  However, when traveling with large items like golf clubs or ski equipment, that is not always possible.  There are also travelers who need to check pets for international travel.  When traveling on smaller planes, sometimes airlines require luggage to be checked at the gate.

Even with carry-on items, it is possible someone picks up your carry on by mistake or it may be stored in an overhead bin not close you your seat. 

Imagine what an incovenience it would be if you luggage is lost.  For a real horror story, see this video. But what would be even more horrific is if the airline lost a pet or if a traveler became separated from a traveling companion, especially a child. 

An Apple AirTag may help the traveler with all of the above situations.  

What is an AirTag?  It is an electronic device, about the size of a quarter.  It can be placed in luggage or attached with a key ring-like fob.  Anyone can carry one in their pocket or in their wallet.  It can be be attached to anyone or anything.

How Does it Work?  An AirTag can be configured in seconds to be tracked by your iPhone and your iPhone only.  No personal data is transmitted.  During the setup process, you may name an iTag with an appropriate name like "Linda's Backpack".  Then through the app on the iPhone, it's location can be pinned down to the exact location, within inches, and viewed on your iPhone.

How is it Used?  Let's say you are flying to Edinburgh via London with a checked piece of luggage.  An AirTag is attached to the checked bag.  The luggage does not appear in Edinburgh.  Open the app on your iPhone and it will indicate exactly where the bag is, making it easier for the airline to locate the misdirected luggage it and get it to you.   In another instance, let's say you decide to go see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and your travel companion wants to browse the gift shops instead.  When you need to find each other later in the day, you can locate each other easily with the AirTag. Steve and Linda do this by placing an AirTag with a wallet holder in their pocket or bag while touring. 

What Does it Cost?  Each AirTag is about $28 but a pack of 4 is less than $100.

Where Can I Get an AirTag:  A single AirTag can be purchased by clicking this link.   A 4-pack is available here.