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Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

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Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#181

Post by reustle »

savoytruffle wrote: post #78
Tomdarkness wrote: post #10

How are they even going to know if there is an airtag in someone's luggage? Are they particularly obvious on an x-ray or is there some kind of specialised detector?

It's an interesting question. Maybe it's just scare tactics. The battery that goes in an AirTag is the same as in a lot of wristwatches and I expect it would look like a wristwatch via x-ray. And it is exactly as dangerous as such a thing, which it to say: not.

Does security handle airline specific requirements? I’ve flown a lot and don’t think I’ve ever experienced that, but maybe?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#182

Post by jupp0r »

andy_ppp wrote: post #127
jupp0r wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many airlines do this. Lufthansa did it to me last year. They are usually accommodating if you ask in advance (mine was due to a connecting flight being canceled and driving the last leg was much faster than waiting for the next flight).

It’s actually illegal for them to do this without refunding you in Europe but a lot of airlines just ignore the law on this it seems.

This was the US. EU passenger rights are so awesome.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#183

Post by seanp2k2 »

sigwinch28 wrote: post #112
nostrademons wrote: post #76

Note that the reason for airport mode is a courtesy to cell-phone carriers. It's not any air safety issue. Rather, 300-500 cell phones all trying to contact the next cell tower, multiple times per minute, would wreak havoc on cell service. https://www.inverse.com/article/51015-cell-phone-use-on-airp... At one point, when both cell phones and laptops were new, there was perhaps a risk to the airplane's electronics. Mo…

> Note that the reason for airport mode is a courtesy to cell-phone carriers. This doesn’t track. What about trains?

US resident here. What is a train? Those things that move cows, oil, and cars across those rusty bits of metal? I don't think those are suitable for human transportation.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#184

Post by zerocrates »

heisenzombie wrote: post #46

“ Lufthansa claims that the transmission function needs to be turned off during flight when in checked luggage, just as is required for cell phones, laptops, etc.” On my phone, turning on airplane mode seems to disable the cell and wifi radios (with wifi able to be toggled back on) but Bluetooth defaults to staying on.

Huh, I'd have assumed (and remembered?) that airplane mode turned off all transmission, but I suppose with the huge increase in Bluetooth headphones that would be quite inconvenient, so maybe it was changed.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#185

Post by aaaaaaaaaaab »

scottmcdot wrote: post #133
mccorrinall wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have an AirTag which turns off during flights and powers itself on after 24h. Hah. Compliance!

How do you get the AirTag to do this?

Oh it's very simple. I can show you if you give me my luggage with the AirTag ;)

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#186

Post by fshbbdssbbgdd »

svnpenn wrote: post #73
rconti wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get that it's inconvenient and could be used nefariously. I'm not sure what kinds of worker protections airline staff have in Europe, but I can see why it might be problematic that I'm tracking the employee as they drive their van full of lost luggage to my hotel. Still, it's my stuff, so I'm going to keep putting AirTags in every bag I travel with. I'm sorry, but.. what are they going to do? Ban me from the airlin…

Quoted post unavailable.

What, do the baggage handlers at Lufthansa have free time to go searching for AirTags?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#187

Post by matthewmacleod »

enumjorge wrote: post #177
sigwinch28 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Note that the reason for airport mode is a courtesy to cell-phone carriers. This doesn’t track. What about trains?

And movie theaters, malls, stadiums. Maybe I’m missing something?

If you're in a stadium travelling at 600mph, you have a heck of a problem!

I think the challenge isn't so much "lots of people in one place" as "lots of people travelling extremely fast with line-of-sight to hundreds of cellular towers at the same time".

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#188

Post by pleb_nz »

axlee wrote: post #119
myself248 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bingo! It hadn't occurred to me until just now, but you bet your butt there'll be an Airtag, a Trackr, and a Tile in my luggage next time.

Trackr has been gone since 2021.

Can't you track them down?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#189

Post by superhuzza »

chrisseaton wrote: post #91
dghlsakjg wrote: post #20

The cat is out of the bag. There is no way that people are going to stop putting AirTags in their luggage, at least not while airlines are still constantly losing luggage and fighting people on reimbursement.

> at least not while airlines are still constantly losing luggage Does that actually happen to people still? I thought it was just a 90s meme. I get a push notification every time they move my bag anywhere. 'Accepted into the system', 'loaded onto the plane', 'unloaded off the plane', 'popped out at the carousel'. Seems pretty bullet proof these days.

It's been a big issue in the UK for the last few months, as airports struggled to find enough baggage handlers. So luggage was getting left all over, massive buildups, effectively "lost" until they have enough manpower to process it all.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#190

Post by hacym »

nostrademons wrote: post #76

Note that the reason for airport mode is a courtesy to cell-phone carriers. It's not any air safety issue. Rather, 300-500 cell phones all trying to contact the next cell tower, multiple times per minute, would wreak havoc on cell service. https://www.inverse.com/article/51015-cell-phone-use-on-airp... At one point, when both cell phones and laptops were new, there was perhaps a risk to the airplane's electronics. Mo…

I don’t think that’s true, or at least how you worded it is bad. Events of thousands of people don’t make you turn off your cell phone, so it’s not because of traffic to a tower. Instead, it’s interference caused by altitude and the pinging of towers.

It’s actually an FCC regulation that requires it, so it’s not a courtesy as you say.

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