Passenger uses app to track down lost luggage with iPad inside

The suitcase was found in a different terminal to the one that the traveller was meant to fly from

Severe staff shortages at airports are causing huge lost luggage problems for travellers this summer (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An airline passenger who had to spend several days without his luggage finally managed to find it himself ‒ with the help of his iPad.

The American Airlines customer, who identified himself only as Nathan, told Insiderhe had managed to track down his suitcase in a different terminal to the one he was meant to be travelling from.

Nathan was supposed to fly from Utah to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in Texas on 17 June, where he was to take a connecting flight to Marion County in Indiana.

But he had to wait four days to get to Indiana after a delay caused him to miss the first flight.

American Airlines told Nathan he could not get his baggage because it would be put on the connecting flight, meaning he had to go days without his belongings, Insider reported.

He says he also had to pay for three nights in a hotel, meals, transportation, and clothing while waiting for his next flight; meanwhile he ended up missing the charity golf tournament he was travelling to Indiana for.

When returning to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport four days later, Nathan managed to track down his bag by locating an iPad that he had packed in his hold luggage on the iPhone app “Find My”.

When the location of his iPad came up on his phone, Nathan says he was able to walk an American Airlines staffer at Forth Worth to the exact spot where his bag was being stored.

To get to the location, he had to spend 45 minutes transiting through the airport and security to another terminal.

He told Insider: “They had no idea where my baggage was, and the only way we found my bag was because I had my iPad in my checked bag.

“I told the staff member that if my bag matches the name on my ID then I’m just going to take it.

“It’s a good thing I got there early because I had to spend another 45 minutes going back to the right terminal and checking in my bag.”

The Independent has contacted American Airlines for comment.

Tech has come to the rescue in many lost luggage cases this summer, as airports and airlines around the world are struggling with severe staff shortages amid a boom in post-pandemic travel demand.

But travellers concerned about losing their luggage don’t need to go as far as packing an iPad or iPhone in their checked-in bag to be able to locate it if it goes missing.

Many travel experts suggest putting small Bluetooth and GPS-tracked chips – such as Tiles, Apple’s AirTags, or Samsung’s SmartTags – so that they can be traced using a smartphone or computer.

The chips track the exact location of the bag when it’s in close range, and show which country or airport the bag is in from a long distance.

One passenger who was successful in using these tags to track his luggage was an American man who travelled from the US to Germany to pick up his missing suitcases.

Another American man flew 1,100 miles from Costa Rica to Miami to pick up his bag – which contained an AirTag and expensive drone equipment – after it was sent to the wrong airport.

In Miami, the baggage room attendant told him the suitcase wasn’t there, but the passenger showed him the exact location using the Find My app on his phone.