A video of a passenger's travel hack for tracking luggage and avoiding bag mix-ups at an airport has sparked debate among users on TikTok.
The clip was posted three days ago by @its_me_sayali and has 7.5 million views since it was first shared.
A message overlaid on the video reads: "Pov (point of view) when you put Airtag in your luggage." The footage shows a man holding a phone up, while standing near what appears to be a baggage carousel at an airport.
AirTag is a wireless tracking device from Apple that can be placed inside or attached to various items to help keep track of them.
The phone screen shows a counter, counting down how far away in feet the suitcase is from the phone. The screen appeared to turn green once the suitcase was picked up by the man.
Passengers' efforts to keep track of their luggage as much as possible are understandable.
According to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report published in June by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened around 40.8 million checked bags at baggage screening locations in April.
The survey was taken among "all U.S. airlines with at least half of 1 percent of total domestic scheduled-service passenger revenues plus any branded codeshare partners."
A total of 219,795 "mishandled bags" were reported in April on domestic flights across the various U.S. airlines, according to the DOT.
@its_me_sayali Pov when you keep Airtag in your checkin luggage. 😀 #foryou #foryoupage #travel #travelling #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #familyfun #nature #friends #airtag #apple #airtagsapple
♬ august - Taylor Swift
The latest clip has sparked debate among users on TikTok, with some saying the tip was handy, while others were not impressed.
George Devetak said: "This came in handy when someone took my bag off the carousel and I found it with other luggage some 50 meters away."
User ztodc said: "It's helpful for when your luggage gets lost. You can also use it to check if it made it on the plane."
Eff recalled: "Last time I flew, I was waiting at the belt for 30 min and then remembered I put an AirTag in my suitcase. It was in a pile on the side."
User @jinisaha said: "AirTag is [a] must...my luggage was delayed, went to airport and found my luggage with the help of AirTag after 3 days...airline kept on delaying."
Other TikTokers begged to differ.
User sparklemullet noted "That's cool my eyes do this for me" and Nekokun51 agreed, saying "Just use your eyes."
User hawko1979 said: "Or remember what your suitcase looks like."
Papa sooks posted: "That's great. My magic trick is getting my luggage from memory..."
Geniustorm wrote: "Unless you are dumb enough to not remember what your bag looks like, you don't need an AirTag."
Marianne said: "My 'AirTag' is that I know what my case looks like and I put a wee ribbon on it."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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