Just off Rotterdam w/ a luggage "mix-up" - now what? (Also, I packed an AirTag...)

[jb008]

25 minutes ago, VTcruisenut said:

loved reading this thread!  as an FYI, there is a FB group of Holland America Cruisers and someone there lost his Air tag on the ship and he is now tracking it to see where it is cruising next!  It's hilarious!  He named him Artie....................

Somebody mentioned that to us the last evening before disembarking. I wanted to stash an AirTag on Rotterdam, but DW wouldn’t let me.

[jb008]

I want to add, my green strap AND the paper tag for my room on Rotterdam from 12/21 were still attached when my bag arrived this afternoon. 
 

the lab inspection came back OK for me to open my bag 😜

[Tampa Girl]

21 hours ago, jb008 said:

Apple released a product called AirTags that run for about $29 or $99 for a 4-pack. They are small gps trackers that use bluetooth to transmit current location and piggyback on any nearby Apple device to upload their location back to the cloud, which makes them pretty effective since Apple devices are assigned to their staff by some companies including delta airlines. Apple does not report the location history on an AirTag - only showing me the tag’s last updated location. The battery is supposed to last about a year and is a replaceable coin battery.
 

Tile is a similar tracker device that is Apple independent, but the number of devices that passively detect and report the tile tracker location is less than any Apple device. I’m not sure if there’s an equivalent for Google (at least yet?). 

 

I don’t know technical specifics, but there’s been numerous travel articles about using AirTags in luggage to track bags, which is why I bought some before a trip to Europe about 2 months ago. 

 

Thank you for responding.  By "Apple independent" you mean a device that will work either on an Android device or through Google?

[3rdGenCunarder]

Woo hoo! It arrived! Now you need to find an excuse not to do laundry...

[jb008]

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Thank you for responding.  By "Apple independent" you mean a device that will work either on an Android device or through Google?

Correct - and there are other devices out there. I think the largest ecosystem though is Apple and the AirTags since any iPhone, iPad, and many apple laptops are potential passive detection points to update an AirTag's location. Tile is probably 2nd largest, and then Samsung appears to have released a competing tracker but is restricted to their high end phones and won't piggyback on all Android devices. If you google "AirTag alternatives", there were some articles I found on this.

[Live4cruises]

21 hours ago, boeckli said:

Looking into luggage trackers now.

Question: Do you place them inside your suitcase (and if so is there a preferred place) or do they have to hang outside?

We have hard side bags, although not the really high end kind.  Our AirTag does in one of the inside zipper pockets, and that works well.  Hoping we don't have to find out just HOW well!

[tallyho8]

10 hours ago, Alfisti said:

It's sad that some people can't be bothered to check the luggage tag to just ensure they have the right one.  I double-triple check the luggage tags because I've seen so many duplicate bags over the voyages - some even missing the same emblems that fall off etc... 

It's not just people who fail to check if it is their bag. I'm sure you have read reports of the high government official who was just fired for stealing bags.

[Ipeeinthepools]

13 hours ago, jb008 said:

7 days later and I was just reunited with my bag!

 

FedEx delivered 3 days late, but I finally got my dirty laundry back 🤪

 

I saved the daily planners in case anyone’s interested. 

cheers!

 

Do you know if the person that took your bag has received their bag?  I thought the port was holding their bag hostage until your bag was returned.

[jb008]

6 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

Do you know if the person that took your bag has received their bag?  I thought the port was holding their bag hostage until your bag was returned.

 

I did't want to bother him to ask, I ended our last message exchange by telling him please don't hesitate to contact me if he need anything from me to get his luggage. He dropped my bag off at FedEx and has the receipt from the drop-off which includes the tracking number so he can pull up the FedEx page that shows a 50 lb bag being shipped from him to me fwiw.

[CaliforniaAC]

I tried to read all posts, I got to #25, so if this is a repeat, sorry. 

 

I always put a letter size paper with every last bit of my information and travel plans in LARGE print inside of my luggage right on top as well as our luggage tags, and our cruise ship tags, marked 1 of 4, 2 of 4, etc. . We have neoprene handle covers that are neon orange. Bright orange ribbons too. Carry-on too. 

 

And we take photos. Luggage, close up of the tags, the open luggage with the info inside, everything.

 

Our luggage is pale champagne, but we are replacing it because of age. Our new bags are plum.

 

All these years, and we've come home with only a handful of minor problems. Hopefully I don't jinx myself!

[loveapug]

Thank you everyone for this enjoyable thread- and that it ended with a happy reunion with the luggage. Thinking I'll now use the duct tape that has movie popcorn as the image on our bags to aid us in locating our bags more easily on the carousel. 

[GeezerCouple]

41 minutes ago, loveapug said:

Thank you everyone for this enjoyable thread- and that it ended with a happy reunion with the luggage. Thinking I'll now use the duct tape that has movie popcorn as the image on our bags to aid us in locating our bags more easily on the carousel. 

 

It turns out that duct tape can sometimes start to get loose or even fall off.

After that happened once, we changed to have several separate strips of the obnoxious, hard to miss tape.  Currently, we are using silvery/sparkly tape.  We have a piece on each side, plus on each side of the handle, we have a longer strip that goes up from the top part of one side, across the top, and partly down the other side.

Yes, really obnoxious looking, no question about it. 😁

 

CaliforniaAC just mentioned handle covers that sound like what we use (and I described previously).  We use a different day-glow type color, and we also have two separate same-color plastic luggage tag holders on each bag.  Again, the main purpose is to minimize the chance of someone taking it by accident, and also help us to see the bag quickly, including if someone else does happen to start to walk off with one.   Next time, we'll get some obnoxious, very noticeable color of luggage, rather than "basic black"!

 

I'm thinking now of using something similarly "noticeable" (like our sparkly tape), but glueing it on.  I can't think of a reason why we'd be sorry... or is there?  (Worst case, we could glue something black over the bright stuff, if ever desired?)

 

And as a reminder, *always* carry meds or anything truly critical in carry-ons. Always.

 

GC

 

 

[TPKeller]

On 1/3/2023 at 5:38 PM, jb008 said:

Apple released a product called AirTags that run for about $29 or $99 for a 4-pack. They are small gps trackers that use bluetooth to transmit current location and piggyback on any nearby Apple device to upload their location back to the cloud, which makes them pretty effective since Apple devices are assigned to their staff by some companies including delta airlines.

 

One very slight clarification:  AirTags do not have GPS receivers built in.  They rely entirely on the location data contained within the iPhone (from that phone's GPS) that detects the AirTag nearby, using Bluetooth.

It's a small distinction, but helps to better understand how the magic works.

 

Theron

[TPKeller]

Just FYI, there is a generic thread on the Ask A Cruise Question forum about luggage trackers.  I've posted a summary there of all the current options available, with a very brief description of each.

 

Theron
 

 

[Copper10-8]

Ah Yes, the "family member" did  it! They and butlers seem to always get the short end of the schtick

 

[kazu]

On 1/3/2023 at 10:34 PM, boeckli said:

Looking into luggage trackers now.

Question: Do you place them inside your suitcase (and if so is there a preferred place) or do they have to hang outside?

 

INSIDE - do not put them outside as they can get stolen.  I just hook mine on one of the straps.

 

I do have air tags after hearing the horror stories - I bought them.  

And I am here to say that they work.  I have decided one of my old suitcases is jinxed and it is being given away.  I’ve gone away twice recently - no problem getting there - but coming home - it doesn’t make it.  Rather than wait for it and see that it wasn’t coming - I went straight to report it lost and tell them exactly where it was sitting 😉 

the first time I called when the air line’s app said they were still tracking it and told them where it was - when the guy heard I had air tags, I could hear his heart sink.

Last time, my friend took me grocery shopping and asked about my luggage - I knew it was at our airport thanks to my air tag.  Had no call yet - they are supposed to deliver.  She said phooey on that - let’s go get it and we did.  (We are not far away).  

Bottom line - you know where your luggage is - you KNOW if it got on the plane.  You KNOW if it’s sitting in Terminal 1 at Pearson or in Quebec or wherever.  So glad I took my friend’s advice and got them.

Maybe I will leave one on a ship too and have fun seeing where it’s going LOL.

[TPKeller]

6 hours ago, kazu said:

the first time I called when the air line’s app said they were still tracking it and told them where it was - when the guy heard I had air tags, I could hear his heart sink.

 

Wow, you would think he'd be happy... you're doing all the work for them!   Crazy people!

 

Theron

[jb008]

On 2/1/2023 at 8:24 PM, kazu said:

Maybe I will leave one on a ship too and have fun seeing where it’s going LOL.

 

I was going to do that, but DW wouldn't let me. Apparently someone did lose one on a cruise, and they've been sharing the tags location on one of the facebook groups. I haven't found the group, but someone on my cruise mentioned it.