Is Buying an AirTag for My Checked Baggage a Good Idea?<\/strong><\/p>\n Should I buy an AirTag to track my checked bags when I fly?<\/p>\n That\u2019s what a listener asked.<\/p>\n Asked Shirley in California: \u201cI\u2019m flying on Hawaiian Airlines<\/a> \u2026 with so many lost luggage stories in the news, should I buy an Apple AirTag to put in my checked luggage just in case? I haven\u2019t bought the AirTag yet and await your advice. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Clark, who owned and operated travel agencies earlier in his career, is still constantly hopping flights. He\u2019s called travel \u201ca flat-out mess\u201d during the current era.<\/p>\n So yes, he likes buying an AirTag<\/a> or Tile<\/a> to keep track of your luggage. <\/p>\n \u201cBut remember, the best way to avoid having your bag stolen is to never check a bag. If it can\u2019t fit in my carry-on, it doesn\u2019t make the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Clark Howard\u2019s Travel Rule: No Checked Bags<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if you know where your luggage is, if the airline fails to get it to your arrival airport when you reach your destination, you\u2019re still dealing with a mess.<\/p>\n Some people suggest taking valuables, a change of clothes and other necessities in your carry-on bag<\/a> just in case. Clark takes it one step further by suggesting you avoid checking a bag unless absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not, do not. Do. Not. Check. A. Bag. Don\u2019t do it,\u201d Clark says. \u201cChecking a bag right now? You\u2019ve got to hate yourself to check a bag because you lose so much flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Airlines have also gotten profit-hungry in terms of fees for checked bags and the size limits that prevent you from using your bag as carry-on luggage.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have [also] been criminal rings that have been busted,\u201d Clark says. \u201cA criminal will steal bags [that weren\u2019t] even redirected by the airline. It made it to where it was supposed to go and then somebody runs off with the bags.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the AirTags have helped police all around the country and overseas bust criminal rings that are stealing luggage from baggage carousels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\u201cThese things have become extremely valuable for tracking lost luggage that the airlines have no idea where it is,\u201d Clark says. \u201cThe underlying location and how they relay the location of the AirTag or the Tile \u2014 I mean, there are some really smart people out there.<\/p>\n