We put an AirTag in our friend’s suitcase, and they drove nearly 200 miles and then flew from Lisbon Portugal to Newark New Jersey – over 3,300 miles – just to test AirTag’s real-world lost-luggage range. The verdict? AirTags are amazing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone’s night-before-the-big-trip travel nightmare involves one of three scenarios: 1) you either dream that you forgot your ticket, 2) you forgot your passport, or 3) the most likely scenario, that you successfully board, fly and land, but your luggage didn’t make your flight. Where is my suitcase? What do you mean it flew to another city? How did it end up in another country?! It’s the 21st century — how can my suitcase not be on my plane?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I travel a lot (or at least, I did pre-Covid). I may have dreamt scenarios 1 & 2 before, but I’ve lived scenario #3’s lost-luggage nightmare more times than I’d care to remember. I once flew from Miami to Italy only to have my luggage end up in the UK (how?). I once flew from Los Angeles to New Orleans to depart for a Caribbean cruise, only to find out that my bags were on a later flight — they were landing after my cruise ship departed (after buying a whole week’s worth of clothes in the cruise ship’s gift shop, I looked like Norwegian Cruise Line’s #1 fan with their branded hat, polo and pants that were 10-sizes too big). I had multiple nights in Hawaii where my bags were still in the continental US, somehow “missing” despite my arriving at LAX hours before my departure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can’t tell you how all this happens. I have no idea how airlines can continue to lose bags, more than 115 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight (maybe they should have focused a bit of their time on designing luggage carts instead of trying so hard to get airborne?). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I can tell you how to ensure that you always know exactly where your checked bag is, no matter where in the world your airline happens to ship it. You need to put an AirTag in each of your checked bags before your next flight. (See our Top 5 Uses for AirTags article<\/a> and then grab a 4-Pack of AirTags<\/a> & some Belkin AirTags KeyChain Cases<\/a> on Amazon)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s dive into the world’s first intercontinental AirTag luggage-tracking experiment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE SETUP:<\/span> Found someone flying between continents who would be willing to bring my AirTag in their suitcase (simulating my bag getting on the wrong flight without me) and let me track its movements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

• Despite having had airlines lose my bags more times than I can remember, I needed a way to ensure I had a bag travel thousands of miles<\/em> without me, and let’s just say the airlines weren’t willing to promise to lose my bag just so my many thousands of AirTagReviews.com readers could know how well these trackers work from the other side of the globe<\/li>
• So, I had to find a close friend traveling internationally, ideally between continents. Usually, this would be easy, but my pool of volunteers was rather limited given the ongoing travel restrictions and global crisis<\/li>
• Luckily, within a week of receiving my 4-Pack of AirTags<\/a> and Belkin AirTag Key Chain Accessories<\/a>, I had a friend who was flying from Portugual to the US<\/li>
• Total flight time: 6 hours and 54 minutes. Total flight distance from LIS to EWR: 3,384 miles (5.447 km)<\/span><\/li>
• Number of checked bags: one. With an AirTag in it. Paired to my account.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n