United Airlines tells customer their luggage is missing... but an AirTag tells another story

Two United Airlines passengers were near infuriated aft being told their bags were missing but their AirTag told a antithetic story. 

Dan Adams and his spouse Kurt had meticulously planned a two-month European getaway, and adjacent treated themselves to flying concern people to Barcelona with United. 

With specified cautious readying for the agelong trip, they had taken other precautions and enactment AirTags successful their bags. 

Adams, who described it arsenic 'the abrogation of a lifetime', told NBC that erstwhile the brace arrived successful Barcelona, they checked connected the whereabouts of their 4 checked bags. 

'We get to Barcelona. Get disconnected the flight, spell into the airport. And I get retired my phone. And each 4 bags are there, truthful I'm like, "Yay, they made it",' helium told the outlet. 

After they collected 3 bags, the brace patiently waited for the fourth. Adams said helium wasn't acrophobic arsenic they could spot the container was lone feet distant from them. 

'I looked connected the telephone to spot wherever it was, and it was lone a fewer feet from wherever I was standing. I figured they astir apt forgot to enactment it connected the loop that takes it up to the carousel l from down below. It's astir apt conscionable stuck there, and idiosyncratic hide it,' helium added. 

They had approached a baggage rep to effort and rectify the situation, but the baggage rep came backmost to them bare handed. 

'She came backmost and said, "No, there's nary motion of your bag. Probably idiosyncratic took it." I said, "Nobody took it. The AirTag shows it close there,"' helium recalled. 

The baggage rep, however, made it wide that they bash not admit AirTags and 'go by their ain system', according to Adams. 

The brace were promised that their luggage would beryllium delivered to them aboriginal that night, truthful aft agelong hours of question leaving them exhausted, the mates left. 

'We were tired, jetlagged, and I said ok. And that was my mistake. I spot United erstwhile I shouldn't have,' helium said. 

Their last container ne'er arrived, and Adams was subjected to ticker the AirTag wrong the container determination successful the incorrect absorption aboriginal that night. 

'It came into Barcelona and past conscionable kept moving retired of Barcelona,' helium recalled, adding that helium watched the container question 34 minutes retired of the city.  

'I knew astatine that constituent that I'd ne'er spot that container again and each the worldly that was wrong of it.' 

Adams remained convinced that an airdrome idiosyncratic took disconnected with his belongings and added that the hose did precise small to assistance him. 

He filed a ailment with United for his stolen belongings, but helium wasn't reimbursed for thing and added: 'I've been a truly bully United lawsuit for years and years. And they cognize that, yet they treated maine this way.' 

Travel expert, Katy Nastro, told the outlet that Adams' communicative was 'alarming' but reassured that the chances of it happening are low. 

She added that if you usage AirTags, arsenic Adams had, you should hold successful the airdrome and interaction airdrome constabulary if the hose won't assistance you. 

'It tin wage to conscionable instrumentality it retired and spot if you tin get that container from the airdrome versus having it delivered to your edifice oregon accommodation, particularly erstwhile travelling abroad,' she added. 

United told DailyMail.com successful a statement: 'Police successful Barcelona are handling the probe into this missing bag.' 

They added that Adams was reimbursed for his 'frustrating experience' and was besides offered a $200 question credit. 

Adams said: 'I conscionable privation radical to cognize what happened to me, truthful it doesn't hap to them.'  

'Even if you instrumentality precautions of putting an AirTag into your luggage to spot wherever it is, determination are elements retired determination that are going to marque definite you don't get your luggage, nary substance what,' helium added. 

The hose besides added that 'in the coming months, United volition statesman accepting Find My point locations arsenic portion of our lawsuit work process for locating mishandled oregon delayed bags.'

This comes arsenic 15 large airlines implemented a caller 'Share Item Location' diagnostic for travelers with Apple AirTags to find their mislaid luggage. 

While you tin usage AirTags privately to way luggage, hose baggage services had yet to acceptable up interior ways to nexus up to the tag's tracking information... until now.

Some of the airlines that person already started utilizing this process see Delta Airlines, United Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas and Virgin Atlantic.

'We cognize galore of our customers are already traveling with AirTag successful their checked bags, and this diagnostic volition soon marque it easier for them to stock determination accusation with america safely and securely,' David Kinzelman, United's main lawsuit officer, told CBS News this month.

He added that the diagnostic is lone disposable with United successful prime airports, but determination are plans to present 'the work systemwide successful aboriginal 2025.' 

The unafraid links AirTag owners make are meant to guarantee idiosyncratic privacy, and the shared point volition instantly beryllium disabled erstwhile the luggage proprietor is reunited with their belongings.

'Access to each nexus volition beryllium constricted to a tiny fig of people, and recipients volition beryllium required to authenticate successful bid to presumption the nexus done either their Apple Account oregon spouse email address,' Apple said successful a quality release.

Links that bash not get disabled volition automatically expire aft 7 days.

The 'Share Item Location' diagnostic is disposable present successful astir regions worldwide arsenic portion of the nationalist beta of iOS 18.2, which volition soon beryllium disposable to each users for iPhone Xs and aboriginal done a bundle update.