Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage • Hacker News Board

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#561

Post by troad » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:35 AM UTC

berkes wrote: post #545

Maxburn wrote: post #534

If you want better baggage treatment on airlines, just stick a gun in checked baggage. I have found that putting a gun in my checked baggage and declaring it gets my bag VERY special treatment. It gets special tagging and individual handling. Drop off in a special area. It doesn't go on the carousel, I have to go claim it with ID etc. Best part is this costs nothing. I know some photographers that learned this trick…

Try that in Europe. Or almost anywhere not US though, and you'll very likely won't be able to access your luggage due to being detained in some cell.

Don't stereotype. The world is far more nuanced than that.

You're allowed to own and transport firearms, with various levels of restriction, in every European country. Farmers and security personnel are the obvious examples here.

Some European countries are far more permissive than that, of course. The Czech Republic, for instance, recognises a constitutional right to self-defence and defence of others with a firearm, and has a very liberal licensing regime for gun ownership and concealed carry of guns for the purpose of self defence. Some Czech courthouses have safe deposit boxes where you can store your guns upon entering.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#562

Post by kugutsumen » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:36 AM UTC

Contract terms that are unfair under EU law have no legal or binding force on consumers. As long as the unfair term is not an essential element of the contract, the rest of your contract (but not the unfair term) remains valid. This means, for example, that you won't have to give up your gym membership just because one clause in the contract is unfair.

EU countries must make sure that consumers know how to exercise these rights under national law, and must have procedures under which business may be prevented from using unfair terms.

Throughout the EU, national authorities are in responsible for enforcing EU consumer protection rules. If you feel that a particular trader is repeatedly breaching these rules, including at a cross-border level, you should report your case to them.

If you feel that particular contract terms are unfair, you can seek advice from:

- National consumer associations - for advice on problems in the country where you live

- European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) - for help with cross-border disputes

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#563

Post by joenot443 » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:37 AM UTC

tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #510

tsimionescu wrote: post #486

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget floppy disks being enshrined as the Save icon - that has to be one of the shortest lives devices to give rise to such an anachronism.

I'm seeing various products switch to Cloud-related save icons, e.g. upload arrows, arrows going into a cloud, etc.

Maybe it's more complexity than needed, but I'd love to see us settle on arrow-to-cloud meaning "Save any changes" and the floppy icon meaning "Save a copy to my machine."

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#564

Post by CogitoCogito » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:38 AM UTC

andy_ppp wrote: post #507

CogitoCogito wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never before heard that this is illegal in Europe and haven't found anymore info after some quick searching. Do you have anymore information about this?

They’ve been successfully sued under the consumer rights act 2015 (an EU law).

Do you have a link with more info about this case?

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#565

Post by samatman » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:50 AM UTC

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…

I think they're incorrect, but one would have to read all the regulations carefully to be sure.

I'm basing that judgement on this: https://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoods/Documents/Guidanc...

Part 2E makes a battery handling label exception for button cells, quote: "except that button cells installed in equipment (including circuit boards) need not be considered."

While this is packaging guidance, and not airline guidance, I expect it's the same rule, for the same reason.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#566

Post by samatman » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:55 AM UTC

hulitu wrote: post #512

Hnrobert42 wrote: post #487

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That article, while interesting, does not address button batteries. Maybe I missed it. I found it interesting that you can ship any amount of lithium batteries as cargo.

Button batteries are a different type. They don't overheat when shorted.

Anything which has energy overheats when shorted.

I upvoted you anyway, because by design, button cells have limited potential to cause damage when they short. Yes, they heat up, but they have very little energy to begin with, and a large amount of metal surface area which keeps thermal runaway in check.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#567

Post by Andrew_nenakhov » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:58 AM UTC

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…

AirTags are pretty much active devices, they transmit data all the time. If some iPhone happens to receive that data, iPhone relays it to Apple servers and adds coordinates where it received data.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#568

Post by thecosmicfrog » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 11:58 AM UTC

google234123 wrote: post #410

chrisseaton wrote: post #384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

United does it, for example. You need the app. I'm sure other airlines do it as well?

AA does.

Huh. In the last few weeks I've travelled with AA, Southwest, Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Lufthansa, and never got any baggage updates in their apps.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#569

Post by snowwrestler » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 12:01 PM UTC

FabHK wrote: post #560

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

In the Hong Kong MTR (subway) mobile phones work just fine. I was shocked when I couldn't get a connection in the London tube.

In DC as well, Verizon strung the tunnels with base stations. I get better cellular data on the subway than I do at home.

Re: Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage

#570

Post by Maxburn » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 12:08 PM UTC

troad wrote: post #561

berkes wrote: post #545

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try that in Europe. Or almost anywhere not US though, and you'll very likely won't be able to access your luggage due to being detained in some cell.

Don't stereotype. The world is far more nuanced than that. You're allowed to own and transport firearms, with various levels of restriction, in every European country. Farmers and security personnel are the obvious examples here. Some European countries are far more permissive than that, of course. The Czech Republic, for instance, recognises a constitutional right to self-defence and defence of others with a firearm…

Exactly, that's the whole point I'm pushing here. We are just looking for legal loopholes to get this special baggage treatment.

I think legally you would have more success across the world with a long gun (rifle or shotgun). BUT that's a bigger item that's a PITA to pack. So the loophole here is you only need to transport the piece that has the serial number on it because that is legally the "gun" part. So for example the lower receiver of an AR with nothing attached to it is smaller than most pistols but that's the part that is considered a "rifle" to exercise this loophole.