Lufthansa Says Passengers Can’t Use Apple AirTags to Track Checked Bags
In a response issued last year, the German airline said that passengers are unable to use AirTags to track checked bags when booked to fly from, to or between any of their European destinations, unless those bags have been checked in advance online.
The issue was first highlighted by The Guardian last year. The airline was asked if passengers could use AirTags for baggage tracking after a passenger was charged by the airline after a bag was stolen at Heathrow last March. A week after the theft, the passenger claimed the bag online and was then charged more than £1,000 for each hour he sat in the Air India flight.
The carrier was also asked in a response last year whether passengers could use AirTags to check-in online, citing that as a reason for its policy.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lufthansa said that it is also obliged to “apply the rules of law in accordance with the laws of the respective countries”.
“The legal basis for the German Federal Aviation Authority’s ( or Fira) decision and for the German Federal Customs Service’s decision is the same,” the company said.
It went on to say that the Fira’s decision, which applied to Lufthansa, remains in force.
“Lufthansa is bound by that decision and will not be able to change the procedure for checking in and out, as long as passengers are required to check in and check out at check-in/check-out counters at airports. The carrier is also obliged to apply the rules of law in accordance with the laws of each country.”
The airline went on to say that AirTags enable passengers to track bags but are not intended to facilitate direct payments for checked bags. The carrier also said that it has no plans to use the technology to track bags online.
In a statement issued shortly after the airline’s response was released, Apple and Apple Pay have stated that AirTags are used to identify passengers to payment providers such as the credit card giants Visa and MasterCard.
“Apple Pay does not work with AirTags at this time. AirTags are designed to identify bags at an airport and are used, however, only to inform customers that other bags in the same flight are being
