With flight cancellations and delays leaving most Canadians preoccupied with air travel, many future travelers may be thinking of ways to avoid the airport headaches that others have experienced.
For some, that may mean keeping an eye on your luggage with the use of Bluetooth or GPS trackers, small devices originally designed to track items like lost keys and backpacks, but which could come in handy when flying through some of the world’s busiest airports. according to experts. tell.
“I think right now it’s a good option, especially to fly through one of those major hubs that has a connecting flight,” Jennifer Weatherhead, founder of travelandstyle.ca, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Tuesday. .
“Everybody has seen those videos, I’ve seen the videos and I’ve experienced them, of massive piles of bags in different airports that people have to sort through and check.”
In the case of air travel, a person can place a tracker on their bag to help locate it in the pile of other bags at its final destination.
Popular Bluetooth-based trackers include Apple’s AirTag, Samsung’s SmartTag and Tile, which use a mobile app to help locate the item being tracked.
Others use GPS, which could be useful if a bag hasn’t left its destination yet.
Some trackers make a sound when used or can display the most recent location of an item if it’s out of Bluetooth range.
Having that tracker could provide a little more “peace of mind” in knowing where your bag is, says Weatherhead.
She says she would prefer a GPS-based tracker, with Bluetooth that doesn’t always connect properly based on personal experience, but said ultimately it’s about the brand people are most comfortable with.
Trackers may be specific to certain operating systems like iOS or Android, while those that use GPS may require a subscription.
Meanwhile, Apple’s AirTag uses other iPhone, iPad and Mac devices on the Find My network to help track an item.
“The more security you can have to make sure you and your things get where you’re going, the better,” travel expert Natalie Preddie told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Tuesday.
Having a separate paper or leather luggage tag that includes your contact information such as an email or phone number on the outside of the suitcase, along with an electronic tracker, could be a useful combination when it comes to finding and retrieve your luggage, says Preddie. .
Above all, experts say that if you can fly with only carry-on luggage, go for it.
“I would really recommend just flying with a carry-on to avoid this at this point, because at this point it looks like we’re looking at a summer of this,” Preddie said.
Weatherhead also advises travelers to fly carry-on only if they can.
For anyone concerned about privacy and security, particularly with Bluetooth-based trackers, opting for a carry-on might also be a more suitable option.
Apple AirTag has raised privacy concerns, with reports over the past year showing that the tags can be slipped onto people’s belongings, such as a purse or a car, and used to track people without their knowledge.
Apple says that AirTags have a feature to “protect against unwanted tracking” and share alerts if an unknown tracker may be traveling with you.
However, even if you don’t have checked baggage, a flight may ask passengers to check their carry-on baggage if there isn’t enough headroom.
“Even if you’re packing carry-on, it might be a good idea to have a luggage tag in case that happens,” Weatherhead said.
If you have to check your carry-on, it says to make sure you have all your valuables with you, along with anything else you might need.
In the end, experts recommend double-checking the size and weight of your luggage to make sure it meets your plane’s carry-on rules, as well as any other restrictions, such as liquid allowances.
With files from CTVNews.ca writer Solarina Ho, CTV National News Associate Producer Christy Somos and The Canadian Press