Yes, you can put an Apple AirTag in your checked airline luggage

Considering airlines have been doing a terrible job of keeping tabs on luggage lately, an Apple AirTag or a similar tracker from Tile has been a shrewd investment.

At least it seemed that way, until reps from the German airline Lufthansa started telling people on social media that AirTags in checked luggage posed a safety risk and were hence banned from the cargo hold. That was due to the presence of a lithium battery that can’t be turned off.

However, the airline itself has now clarified they are allowed (because of the small amount of lithium) and now the United States’ Federal Aviation Authority has confirmed it has no beef with travellers popping an AirTag in their checked bags.

“Luggage tracking devices powered by lithium metal cells that have 0.3 grams or less of lithium can be used on checked baggage,” the FAA said in a statement to The Points Guy (via Engadget). “Apple AirTags meet this threshold; other luggage tracking devices may not.”

For what its worth, a single AirTag has just 0.1g of lithium. So, you can travel with your AirTag without risk of the airline nicking it, or you getting in any trouble with the law.

Lufthansa’s initial stance was based on guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization. However, those guidelines are just that. Local authorities like the European Aviation Safety Agency, and Luftfahrtbundesamt in Germany, make the final call.

Neither of those two had banned AirTags, so Lufthansa didn’t have to either. With this much confusion at the airline, it’s no wonder Henry Hill and the rest of the Goodfellas had such an easy job robbing them blind at Idlewild airport in the late 70s.

AirTags are a great option for travellers because they can use Apple’s Find My network to provide a precise location (based on the thousands of Apple devices out there in the wild) when your bag isn’t where it should be.