AirTags really are one of the greatest travel inventions in recent times…
United Airlines passenger has film equipment stolen
A Twitter user named Errol Webber (who refers to himself as a “documentary film producer,” but looking at his stuff, I’m not so sure that’s accurate) Tweeted last night about how he had something stolen out of his checked luggage while flying with United Airlines. Typically this would be a really frustrated Tweet where you’d feel helpless, but the tone here is quite different, thanks to AirTags.
Webber Tweeted at United, saying “one of your employees at Anchorage Airport rummaged through my luggage and took some film equipment with them.” He also said that this person “inadvertently took [his] Apple AirTag that [he] had hidden.”
So he asks the airline if the employee living at a specific address in Anchorage could please give him his stuff back. He even includes screenshots showing the exact place that his luggage is allegedly located, and an Apple Maps view of the neighborhood. He also shows where the bag’s AirTag is located (somewhere near Los Angeles), compared to the film equipment’s AirTag.
Now, in fairness to United, we don’t actually know who stole his equipment. Checked luggage is potentially handled by quite a few people (TSA agents, contract workers, etc.), so it’s anyone’s guess who exactly was behind this. Presumably it could be figured out by looking up who owns the address, figuring out who they might be connected to, etc., but that all seems a bit creepy at this point.
For those not familiar, Apple AirTags are an easy way to keep track of your stuff. You just attach them to an item, and then you can track the location of it through your Apple device. Presumably these weren’t necessarily intended for luggage, though they have become super useful when traveling.
Is this the best ad for AirTags, or what?
Having luggage lost or stolen is such a helpless feeling. Not only are valuables potentially taken away from you, but the process of recovering them can be incredibly aggravating. Well, at least that was the case until AirTags. It really is incredible what a game changer these have been, as we’ve now seen several similar cases where a traveler tracks their stolen luggage down to a specific house.
If this isn’t the best ad for Apple AirTags, then I don’t know what is. For that matter, I’m kind of surprised thieves haven’t gotten savvier, and looked more carefully whether items have AirTags before stealing them. You’re quite literally incriminating yourself if you steal something with a tag that can be tracked to wherever you are.
Bottom line
In a viral Tweet, a man flying with United Airlines was able to track some film equipment that was stolen from his luggage thanks to AirTags. He knew exactly which house in Anchorage they were allegedly in, and asked the airline to get in touch with that employee.
I’m really curious to see what happens from here — hopefully he gets his equipment back, and the person responsible faces some punishment for this theft. Hopefully in the long run, more stories like this deter luggage theft.
What do you make of this United Airlines AirTags incident?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.