In 2022, AirTags are still proving to be the unsung heroes.
After a passenger failed to arrive at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) earlier this month due to an alleged theft by an airport employee, Apple's tracking gadget assisted in finding the traveler's missing suitcase and other items.
After the tourist reported her bag missing on August 9, police were able to find her lost baggage, which contained more than $15,000 worth of valuables.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Airport Security Unit, which is just outside of Fort Walton Beach, it never showed up on the luggage carousel at VPS.
According to a department press statement, officers used an AirTag that the traveler had hidden in her bag to locate the missing things in Mary Esther, Florida. They did this by using the Find My app to pinpoint the location of the bag there.
Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement on Facebook on August 11 that "this arrest is an example of outstanding coordination by our Airport Security Unit, our Investigators, and the Airport to discover the person guilty for these thefts and make sure he is held accountable."
When searching through the victim's luggage, the defendant, who was an airline subcontractor working at VPS at the time of the crimes, reportedly found an AirTag.
According to reports, the suitcase's AirTag indicated the area of its last sighting, which helped officials find it and retrieve it.
A second victim reportedly reported losing a suitcase with more than $1,600 worth of stuff that never made it to the airport in July, but police said the items had not yet been located.
This year, AirTags gained attention for their work in assisting travelers to manage the growing baggage problems at European airports in the midst of a summer of flight cancellations and delays, which further increased the possibility of losing checked bags.
The prevalence of AirTags has skyrocketed, perhaps in part as a result of the numerous lost luggage incidents.
By sliding one of these convenient, barely larger than a quarter, items into a pocket within their baggage or using the item as a bag tag, travelers may passively keep track of their belongings.
You can use Bluetooth to follow your baggage through nearby Apple devices, specifically compatible iPhones or iPads, if your bag goes missing or is delayed in transit.
Your suitcase can be tracked using the Find My app on nearby Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads (Airtags connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device on the iOS platform.)
If an item is designated as "lost," the device will ping and let you know where it is when it is found without sending any personal information.
Currently, it is possible to buy AirTags online.
They typically cost around $25 for a single AirTag or less than $100 for a four-pack.
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