I’ve just given AirTags a real test in the real world. It’s been a bit too real.

Last week I finished a trip to New Zealand which included a cycle tour on my folding KHS 20” wheeled bike. I bought it 2nd hand for $500, and it has proved to be a capable touring bike, and it fits into a suitcase for air travel. 

Of course I attached an AirTag to both the bike suitcase and the other suitcase which I checked in at Nelson airport for the first of three flights to return to Canberra. Nelson-Auckland-Brisbane-Canberra.

At Auckland I could see on my phone App that the AirTags were several hundred metres apart. A bit odd but I put it down as technical quirk.

On arrival in Brisbane, I could see one Airtag had come with me. The other one hadn’t. But both suitcases arrived! Of course what had happened is that one tag had either fallen off or been pulled off in Auckland. I took both bags through customs ok and checked them in together onto the domestic flight home. 

The one with the AirTag arrived OK. The one without the AirTag… the bike suitcase … didn’t arrive! Sort of ironic. It went missing after check in and I’d lost the tracker back in Auckland. It was still giving a signal. I’ve now deleted it. 

Anyway the airline eventually found the suitcased bike and it arrived home a day later.

Next time I’ll attach the AirTag  much more securely or even put it inside the suitcase. 

"Next time I’ll attach the AirTag  much more securely or even put it inside the suitcase. "

Seems prudent.

I've not used either form (AirTag or Tile) of tracker, but noted when I was browsing them on a major internet retail platform that one or t'other seems designed to be tucked away inconspicuously in a nook or cranny where it's safe from being accidentally dislodged and lost, and also safe from prying eyes that may have nefarious purposes in mind.  

In fact, IIRC in many cases the tracker itself came packed with various doo-dads that included the requisite hiding place in which to conceal the device: a slot or covered cavity (as for example under a handlebar bell or rear-view mirror base).

Hi Keith yes there’s an array of devices to hide and attach them to bikes, luggage, keys etc The bottle cage ones made by Zefal work ok.

Separate to my flight home, I also air-freighted a large box of stuff back from my rels place in NZ. Included in the box was some keys which also have an AirTag attached to them. The signal from this tag has been detectable non-stop, even though it’s buried in the contents on the box.

 I could ‘see’ that after 10 days, the box was still sitting uncollected at the freight depot in NZ. So I emailed them to ask what was happening. Within two hours the box was on the move and I tracked its progress. It arrived in Canberra last night, and will probably be delivered today. So a big tick for AirTags this time. They work.