Air tags on luggage
I am travelling from Toronto joining a cruise in Athens. If I put an AirTag in my checked in luggage for the ship and the airplane, will it work.
iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 15
Question marked as
By "will it work" do you mean: Can I track my luggage through my complete trip to know where it is located at all times?
If so, then no. That's because the AirTag does not incorporate GPS. Instead it relies on Bluetooth and the Apple's Find My Network. That network is comprised of other iPhones with Bluetooth, Location, & Find My Network enabled on them ... and that those phones would need to have either a cellular or wireless connection to the Internet.
Trying not to go into too much detail, the AirTag employs a Bluetooth beacon that transmit its location data approximately every 3-5 mins. An iPhone within Bluetooth range (~30') of it will receive this signal, and then, relay it to the Apple servers over the Internet. From there, that is where you can see this location information with the Find My app on your phone.
The bottom line? At best, you will be able to track your luggage's location periodically. There may be significant gaps where the tag is not able to communicate with another iPhone. Typically, that would be in the cargo hold of an airplane or on a cruise ship. So, you may see the location at the Toronto airport, but not see it again, until it arrives at the Athens airport where it is likely to encounter iPhones nearby.
Just trying to set your expectations so you don't get disappointed with the AirTag's "performance." If you really need to know where your luggage is, at all times, you may want to consider getting a dedicated GPS tracker instead.
