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Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

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Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#81
post #7

Except they have. A Lufthansa spokesperson has clarified the new rules for the German news site watson: https://www.watson.de/leben/urlaub%20&%20freizeit/879935671-... It rougly translate to: The device itself is not banned, but has to be shut off during flight. In practice this would mean that you would have to remove the battery from the airtag, since there is no powerswitch. But I will admit that this seems odd an…

Would it be okay to put it in a metal box forming a faraday cage? I could seriously see a demand for such a product if they follow through on this ban.

What would be the point of that? It wouldn't work any more.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#82
post #7

Except they have. A Lufthansa spokesperson has clarified the new rules for the German news site watson: https://www.watson.de/leben/urlaub%20&%20freizeit/879935671-... It rougly translate to: The device itself is not banned, but has to be shut off during flight. In practice this would mean that you would have to remove the battery from the airtag, since there is no powerswitch. But I will admit that this seems odd an…

Would it be okay to put it in a metal box forming a faraday cage? I could seriously see a demand for such a product if they follow through on this ban.

What would be the point of putting an AirTag in your luggage if you prevent it from communicating with the outside world? Toss the Tag in your carry-on if you want it at your destination.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#83
post #62

OT, kinda. My eldest kid is in the final year of UK junior school so finally cut lose to walk to and from school as is culturally acceptable here.. I gave her a phone so she could let us (mum/dad) know she was on her way home from school, deciding to go home to a friends etc.. the school caught wind and apparently it was against school policy so she was disciplined (along with a number of her peers) - the extent of w…

Sorry, what? Phones are tracked too. Maybe your solution is a watch, but still kinda expensive. Lost my 2yo a couple of times and each time thinking to resurrect an airtag that currently tracks junk drawer. Feel wrong and I don’t think it would work on someone who changes clothes 5 times a day.

The fact you lost your child is the basis of your argument against me, beggars belief.. a phone is not by default a device to track a kid an air tag is.. my kid is 10 and yours is 2... waaaay different situation.

Edit: I lost my kid plenty of times as well.. they love to run off don't they.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is patently false. Keyless car fobs are constantly transmitting and it is possible to shut them down for long term storage with a key combination that almost nobody ever uses or even knows about.

They don't transmit continuously. The little CR2032 cell in my Tesla key would be dead in a day or two but in fact it lasts about at least six months, probably more like a year. I presume that they listen for a ping from the car and only then transmit. Unless you press a button of course. I've had the car almost five years and I think I have only replaced the battery four times.

An AirTag transmits constantly yet it manages to last 6 months too. They do not wait for phones to ping them, they just beacon all the time.

Not saying this is what Tesla do. For privacy reasons it would be way better to not transit until it sees the car. But battery life isn't proof of this.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#86
post #10

Really simple question is whether car keys are banned under the same rules. They are powered by the same types of batteries.

Airlines do recommend keeping your car keys in your carry-on. Presumably this is so that you aren't stranded if your baggage gets lost rather than a ban on its battery.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#87
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, what? Phones are tracked too. Maybe your solution is a watch, but still kinda expensive. Lost my 2yo a couple of times and each time thinking to resurrect an airtag that currently tracks junk drawer. Feel wrong and I don’t think it would work on someone who changes clothes 5 times a day.

The fact you lost your child is the basis of your argument against me, beggars belief.. a phone is not by default a device to track a kid an air tag is.. my kid is 10 and yours is 2... waaaay different situation. Edit: I lost my kid plenty of times as well.. they love to run off don't they.

No post body was provided.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) It's not. They ask people to switch off all transmitters during flights (and later to during takeoff and landing) because of RF emissions. 2) Because you can't turn trackers off, especially when they're in the hold. Read the initial article that started all this, it even says that reason is because of transmissions.

Except they don’t because most have onboard wifi now. And most allow Bluetooth headphones, including Lufthansa: Lufthansa: Bluetooth headphones are allowed during every part of the flight.

So clearly this is again an airline using a rule as a "proxy" for something else they want.

Like no chewing tobacco... Yeah it is gross but it is probably not a safety issue.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) It's not. They ask people to switch off all transmitters during flights (and later to during takeoff and landing) because of RF emissions. 2) Because you can't turn trackers off, especially when they're in the hold. Read the initial article that started all this, it even says that reason is because of transmissions.

Except they don’t because most have onboard wifi now. And most allow Bluetooth headphones, including Lufthansa: Lufthansa: Bluetooth headphones are allowed during every part of the flight.

1) The wifi system is EMC certified and tested with the flight instrumentation. Dozens of different consumer devices are not.

2) Lufthansa "allows it during the entire flight without restriction – even during take-off and landing unless the crew instruct otherwise"(https://bluetoothtechworld.com/can-i-use-bluetooth-headphone...). In other words, unless you're told to turn it off in the event of some problem, which is something you can't do when it's in the luggage hold of the aircraft.

Again, the articles specifies this is about EMC.

Re: Lufthansa has not banned AirTags

#90
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact you lost your child is the basis of your argument against me, beggars belief.. a phone is not by default a device to track a kid an air tag is.. my kid is 10 and yours is 2... waaaay different situation. Edit: I lost my kid plenty of times as well.. they love to run off don't they.

Quoted post unavailable.

Yeah they have I don't disagree .. kids growing up need trust was the point I failed to make.. they need to be able to do things without the fear of being tracked (the adult over the shoulder).. imagine for a second your parents putting an air tag on you as a kid.. depresses me at least.

Edit: I'm sorry, you've called me "sus" because of what exactly? I never said I couldn't reason with my kids school.

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