The travel overlords have spoken: Airtags are still allowed in your checked luggage.
News emerged last week that German carrier Lufthansa had banned the quarter-sized trackers, claiming their lithium-ion batteries pose a safety risk to the aircraft. While there is some base for the claims, the battery in an Airtag is closer in size and technology to that of a watch, which most carriers do not ban from being checked.
A broader angle, albeit one that will never be officially acknowledged, is that airlines probably just don’t want you to use them for their own sanity. Airtags and other trackers have soared in popularity this year, owing mainly to the equally stratospheric baggage loss problems. Trackers have allowed passengers to see exactly where their bags are at any given moment, making it complicated for airline staff to plead ignorance on their whereabouts.
I was personally hoping they’d get banned. I’ve got one in my checked luggage and another in my wallet, which makes it super hard to convince my girlfriend that I’m not at the bakery around the corner when I tell her I’m going for a run.