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Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

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Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#321

Post by ajmurmann »

layer8 wrote: post #313
leifg wrote: post #276

Knowing German I read through the sources. This article is pretty misleading. The [primary source]( https://www.watson.de/leben/urlaub%20&%20freizeit/879935671-... ) is a slightly clickbait article asking the questions: "Are AirTags allowed in checked luggage?". They reached out to Lufthanse asking them. They responded: "Luggage trackers are electronic devices so they have to be turned off when the luggage is checked…

Translation of the cited statement by the Lufthansa spokesperson: “ Baggage trackers belong to the category of Portable Electronic Devices and are therefore subject to the Dangerous Goods regulations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization for carriage in aircraft. Accordingly, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight due to their transmission function, similar to cell phones, laptops, table…

This section makes it even more confusing to me, since I thought that the whole cell phone transmission restriction theater had been removed a few years ago. Was that only within the US and I've been violating EU regulations for years?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#322

Post by josephcsible »

HWR_14 wrote: post #302
kylehotchkiss wrote: post #151

Interestingly, they're not an issue in carry on bags. Which sit about 3 feet higher than a checked bag inside of an airplane.

They also sit at a much higher pressure. The concern is that the much lower air pressure can cause stress on lithium batteries in the cargo hold, leading to bulging and possible damage, maybe catastrophic. Especially for already damaged or poorly made batteries

Isn't the cargo hold pressurized too? Don't pets often fly in there?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#323

Post by mrelectric »

EvanAnderson wrote: post #296
Retric wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being 6 miles up and 8 miles horizontally is only 10 miles from a cellphone tower. As rural cells can easily be more than 20 miles this seems reasonable.

I would think the antennas on cell towers are polarized to limit radiated power up.

They are.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#324

Post by tengwar2 »

EvanAnderson wrote: post #296
Retric wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being 6 miles up and 8 miles horizontally is only 10 miles from a cellphone tower. As rural cells can easily be more than 20 miles this seems reasonable.

I would think the antennas on cell towers are polarized to limit radiated power up.

Not so much polarised as aimed. I'm not familiar with 5G (which I believe uses phased array beam aiming), but earlier generations had provision to physically tilt aerials in the vertical plane to optimise beam direction.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#325

Post by Aachen »

leifg wrote: post #276

Knowing German I read through the sources. This article is pretty misleading. The [primary source]( https://www.watson.de/leben/urlaub%20&%20freizeit/879935671-... ) is a slightly clickbait article asking the questions: "Are AirTags allowed in checked luggage?". They reached out to Lufthanse asking them. They responded: "Luggage trackers are electronic devices so they have to be turned off when the luggage is checked…

I'm not super familiar with these systems, but don't they send out beacons using something like Bluetooth Low Energy or some similar protocol? That wouldn't be just passive and turned off unless something external powers it (like NFC could be argued to be).

(Which is not to say that it's therefore a valid argument by this airline, but the title seems accurate if the trackers are sending out signals actively and that's what's prohibited.)

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#326

Post by gsibble »

Having always had airtags in every checked bag for my wife and I for years now, we'll never go back. Has helped us in numerous situations not to mention peace of mind.

Good luck preventing me from putting one in there. We're not going back.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#327

Post by core-utility »

ajmurmann wrote: post #321
layer8 wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Translation of the cited statement by the Lufthansa spokesperson: “ Baggage trackers belong to the category of Portable Electronic Devices and are therefore subject to the Dangerous Goods regulations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization for carriage in aircraft. Accordingly, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight due to their transmission function, similar to cell phones, laptops, table…

This section makes it even more confusing to me, since I thought that the whole cell phone transmission restriction theater had been removed a few years ago. Was that only within the US and I've been violating EU regulations for years?

Is the cell phone transmission theater even lifted in the US? I still get asked to turn on airplane mode regularly (though Wi-Fi is okay)

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#328

Post by formerkrogemp »

smabie wrote: post #318
spideymans wrote: post #314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My most frequent use of the air plane mode, is when I go underground on metro systems, which I find pretty ironic. (Without Airplane Mode, the phone will keep trying to connect to cellular towers, which just makes the network experience unstable) Perhaps "Underground Mode" would be more suitable in a modern context /s

Isn't an unstable network experience better than no network experience?

Not if you're conserving battery life I suppose..

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#329

Post by kshacker »

tartoran wrote: post #247
samueldamon wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

luggage this summer in europe has been a mess. air france lost my bag in paris on june 12 and has neglected to compensate me or return it. no way to get a hold of anyone who can do anything either-- left me wishing i had put an airtag in there myself.

You’d think they’re stuck in a luggage area and airtags would help you hasten them getting to you? Not sure how it’d solve a logistics problem that is not yours but the airline’s. Thinking further I think the airlines should stick their own air tags on luggage while in transit and get it back when customer picks up their luggage (could be a deposit based system). This would help them automatically track all luggage.

We could create a affiliated but a 3rd party bounty hunter business :)

Ok, I lost my luggage in Brussels, provide the "bounty hunter" my information (i.e., location), give them a legal authorization, and they go claim my baggage from where it is stuck, and help it move to where it needs to be.

Of course it will not be straightforward, but if we can make it happen with one airline, maybe others will follow.

Of course the name will not be a bounty hunter service, but something that is more marketing driven.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#330

Post by core-utility »

smabie wrote: post #318
spideymans wrote: post #314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My most frequent use of the air plane mode, is when I go underground on metro systems, which I find pretty ironic. (Without Airplane Mode, the phone will keep trying to connect to cellular towers, which just makes the network experience unstable) Perhaps "Underground Mode" would be more suitable in a modern context /s

Isn't an unstable network experience better than no network experience?

Depending on what you're doing. Many apps that reach out to the internet at launch will hang if there's an unstable connection, but will recognize when there's no connection and open in an offline mode.
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