How to use a luggage tracker before—and after—your checked bag goes missing

A luggage tracker cannot make an airline put your suitcase on the right flight. What it can do is give you another source of location information when the carousel stops and your bag has not arrived. The useful work starts before you leave home.

1. Choose a tracker that works with your phone.

For iPhone users, an Apple AirTag connects through the Find My app. It relies on nearby devices in Apple’s network to relay its location; it is not a continuous GPS feed. If no compatible device passes nearby, the location may not refresh.

Android users can consider Samsung SmartTag or Tile, but should check phone compatibility and network coverage before buying. Do not assume every Bluetooth tracker works with every handset. Compare the local checkout price in CAD for Canada or USD for the United States rather than treating a dollar price as interchangeable.

2. Pair and label it at home.

Connect the tracker to its app before departure and give it a distinctive name, such as “Navy checked suitcase.” Confirm that it appears in the app, check the battery and enable “Notify When Left Behind” if you want separation alerts. An AirTag battery typically lasts about a year and can be replaced.

Use a separate tracker for each checked suitcase if you want to locate bags individually. Setting everything up at home avoids adding another task at the check-in counter.

3. Put it inside the bag, not on the handle.

An interior zipped pocket keeps the tracker out of sight and makes it less likely to become detached. Avoid surrounding it with metal objects or burying it beneath densely packed contents, which can weaken the signal. Concealing it does not make it theft-proof: someone who finds it can remove it.

4. Check the rules for your itinerary.

The supplied guidance identifies AirTags and similar trackers as permitted in both checked and cabin baggage under FAA and TSA rules. Still, confirm your carrier’s current placement and battery requirements, particularly on international journeys.

That check matters for Canadian departures from YYZ, YVR, YUL and YYC as well as flights through major US hubs. The setup is the same whether you booked using Aeroplan, WestJet Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards Canada, or through MileagePlus, AAdvantage, SkyMiles, Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards US. Your booking method does not replace the operating airline’s baggage procedures.

5. If the suitcase is missing, report it—and then share the location.

Open the app and check both the displayed location and when it last updated. Show that information to the baggage desk, but still file the airline’s missing-bag report and keep its reference number. Tracker information supplements that report; it does not replace it.

Ask whether the carrier accepts Apple’s Share Item Location feature. If it does, follow its instructions to provide the location link. If not, explain what the app shows and how recent the update is. Do not describe an old reading as the bag’s current position.

6. Keep expectations practical.

The clearest benefit is less uncertainty and more specific information to give airline staff. A tracker may also help you locate a suitcase around a crowded carousel. There is no guaranteed saving in delivery time or money, however, and location evidence alone does not establish a right to compensation. Keep following the airline’s claim process until the bag is returned.