Apple AirTag saves the day at LAX – and shows why you should never travel without one

Ever since Apple’s AirTag tracking device was introduced, we’ve heard quite a lot of stories of the AirTags helping find a stolen vehicle and lost luggage, to people actually using AirTags to stalk you (this was in the beginning; now there are more security measures against that misuse). 

Now, AirTags are heroes once again, turning a nightmare at an airport into a cautionary tale. Here’s what happened.

On August 22, 2025, Daniel Scott had just flown from Salt Lake City to LAX airport. When the plane landed, he was waiting in the baggage claim area only to find out that, surprise, his suitcase was missing. 

And as it usually happens, the airport staff couldn’t find the bag. But then comes the AirTag – his phone buzzed with an update from the device, which was placed inside his luggage. 

The tracker showed that his luggage was leaving the airport and heading toward the ride-share lot. Scott decided not to wait and sprinted to the Uber lot. 

The bag kept moving, though, across the street and beyond, and that’s when Scott knew that his bag had been stolen. Of course, the airport police were called. When officers arrived at where the trail had stopped (about half a mile away), they revealed several people inside a building. And one of them was wearing Scott’s shirt, pants, and even shoes. Yep, thieves have a sense of style, don’t they!

The bag was ruined, and Scott was able to recover roughly 90% of his things. Of course, thanks to the AirTag, he got most of his luggage back, instead of, well, losing it all. 

Apple’s AirTag is popular for tracking luggage

Apple introduced the AirTag in 2021. Like most Apple things, it quickly gained popularity. It is especially useful (and appreciated) by travelers who put AirTags in their luggage to help in the case where the airline loses their bags. 

AirTags are small and circular trackers that use Apple’s Find My network to connect with nearby Apple devices, therefore providing you with a map of where the tracker is located in real time. 

Apple’s Find My system doesn’t require direct GPS access or a paid subscription, and is crowdsourced. You can use the same network to find your iPhone or any of your other Apple devices. 

Meanwhile, it’s important to note that in the case of theft, we’re talking about a more serious business than just somebody from an airline misplacing your luggage. Thieves can be dangerous, and it’s important to remember not to confront thieves on your own, as you can get yourself in a dangerous position.

Still, you should call the police to ensure that you won’t get hurt over a bag of clothes, you know. 

AirTags and privacy 

Ever since AirTags were introduced, there has been another question brought to the table by many: privacy. Unfortunately, in the beginning, as I mentioned above, AirTags were sometimes used by malicious users to try to stalk people or track cars that were later intended to be stolen. 

Apple has since added quite a lot of safety alerts, including an alert that informs you if an unknown tracker (not associated with your iCloud) is moving with you. For Android phones, Apple has released an app that can also notify you if an unwanted AirTag has been following you around (basically, if it’s been placed in your bag or something). 

Apple’s main competitor, Samsung, also offers a similar Bluetooth tracker called Samsung SmartTag. The first one was also introduced in 2021. 

I think that using an AirTag when you travel to track your luggage is super useful. I’m always worried airlines may lose my stuff (this happens way too often, I’m sorry to say it!), so having an AirTag there can help them find it more quickly (and help me as well). 

“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!

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