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Apple AirTags are moving up the list of must-haves for travel. The $29, coin-shaped gadget makes it easy to track your luggage and other items that might get lost in transit.
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AirTags have been flying off the shelves after Southwest canceled more than 13,000 flights over the holidays, leaving passengers stranded — sometimes for days at a time — and separated from their luggage.
The travel debacle ballooned into a travel nightmare that could cost Southwest upward of $800 million, and an unexpected sales win for Apple. Google searches for AirTags have spiked in the last few weeks and AirTags currently take up two spots on Amazon’s list of best-selling electronics.
AirTags have helped passengers find their bags when airlines either lost them or said they were at a different location. But they’re not only useful for travel.
AirTags are designed to help you keep a digital leash of sorts on personal belongings. That means you can use an AirTag to find or keep track of your wallet, a backpack, purse and other smaller items or something bigger like a car.
Amazon
Apple AirTag
$29.00
How does an AirTag work? It sends a secure, Bluetooth signal to iCloud that can be detected by nearby devices in Apple’s Find My network (the process is encrypted for added safety).
You’re the only one who can see the location of your AirTag, Apple doesn’t store your location or data history, and if an AirTag is near you without your knowledge, a notification will be sent to your iPhone.
Amazon
AirTag, 4-Pack
$99.00
Like other Apple devices, AirTag can also be placed in Lost Mode (a notification will be sent to your iPhone when the lost AirTag is located).
AirTags are compatible with iPhone (iPhone SE and iPhones 6s or later), iPad and Mac devices. They’re water- and dust-resistant and equipped with a replaceable, coin cell battery.
AirTag Alternatives for Android Users
Unfortunately, AirTags don’t work for Android, but there are alternative GPS tracking devices for Android users that cost around the same price as an AirTag, such as Tile Mate, LandAirSea and Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag.
Samsung’s Smart Tag finds items within 130 yards of the Galaxy Find My network and can only be used with Galaxy phones running Android 8.0 or higher (RAM 2.0GB+). The SmartThings app is required for use.
Tile has a Bluetooth range of up to 250 feet and is compatible with iOS and Android. It works with Amazon Alexa, Hey Google and Siri (download the free Tile app to get started). LandAirSea works for both Apple and Android and an app is required for use.
Shop GPS tracking for your luggage and more below.
Amazon
SAMSUNG Galaxy SmartTag Bluetooth Smart Home Accessory Tracker, Attachment Locator for Lost Keys, Bag, Wallet, Luggage, Pets, Glasses, 2021, US Version, Black
$28.96
Amazon
Tile Mate (2022) 1-Pack, White. Bluetooth Tracker, Keys Finder and Item Locator; Up to 250 ft. Range. iOS and Android Compatible.
$19.99 $24.99 20% OFF
Amazon
LandAirSea 54 GPS Tracker
$29.95
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Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty / FAA
Traveling by air is a convenient way to travel, but lately, it has become a headache. Due to a massive system outage, flights across the United States went nowhere.
Travelers woke up to the news or found out that their flights to their final destinations were going nowhere minutes before boarding was not going anywhere on Wednesday morning.
The FAA scrambled to get systems back up when its Notice to Air Missions System, the tool it uses to share safety information with pilots and other airline personnel, “failed,” affecting flights across the country.
According to FlightAware, more than 1,800 flights have been delayed, and over 300 have been canceled.
The outage caused the FAA to instruct all airlines to pause domestic flights until 9 AM as it worked feverishly to get the system back up.
By 8:50 AM, the agency lifted the ground stop, and flights would begin “resuming gradually.” That continues to be the case.
Was This A Cyberattack On The FAA?
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre nixed the notion that the outage directly resulted from a cyberattack.
“The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes. The FAA will provide regular updates, ” she tweeted.
Current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the FAA is “working to resolve this issue swiftly while noting he is calling for an “after-action process” to determine the cause of the outage.
This latest air travel nightmare comes after the mess caused by Southwest Airlines over the holiday travel season that left many of its customers stranded in airports across the US looking for answers.
If you were thinking about traveling today, don’t or mentally prepare yourself for the headache you will endure at your local airport.
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Photo: SAUL LOEB / Getty
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Delta
Flying the friendly skies got a bit better for Delta Skymiles Members thanks to Delta’s longstanding partnership with T-Mobile.
Hinting at this big move coming in 2023, Delta has finally confirmed that SkyMiles Members will get free inflight Wi-Fi as part of its partnership with T-Mobile.
T-Mobile customers already enjoyed the perk of having free Wi-Fi during flights but beginning Feb.1, the program will expand to Skymile Members even if they don’t use T-Mobile as a wireless carrier.
With any “free service,” users should expect to experience some ads before they are given access to the Wi-Fi.
Not all of Delta’s flights will have free Wi-Fi; per the company’s announcement, the free service will roll out on “most” mainline domestic flights at launch, and by the end of 2023 will be available on more than 700 planes in its fleet. Delta says International and regional routes will have free Wi-Fi in 2024.
To utilize the perk, passengers need to provide their SkyMiles number, which they can get by just signing up for one. Also, according to T-Mobile SVP Kevin McLaughlin, there will be “no session limits,” and it will run on Viasat’s network, McLaughlin confirmed to The Verge.
Delta uses two Wi-Fi providers but favors Viasat as the better option due to “streaming capable speeds from pushback to park.”
Now, we need the FAA to finally admit that newer phones don’t affect flight safety, which airlines, the US regulatory agency, and airline companies are currently looking into.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty