A Canadian couple on their honeymoon experienced a unique, months-long journey to recover their lost luggage – and it all began with an Apple AirTag.
Nakita Rees and Tom Wilson flew from Vancouver to Toronto when Air Canada misplaced their luggage.
After enlisting the help of police, filing a missing luggage report, and tracking the bag via the AirTag, they finally got back what was inside: everything, including a bottle of celebratory wine. Read on to find out how the couple reunited with their suitcase!
AirTagged Luggage Goes Missing
Upon their return from their honeymoon, Nakita Rees and Tom Wilson were handed the unfortunate news that the airline had to recheck their luggage on a connecting flight in Montreal.
After they landed in their home province of Ontario, they discovered their Apple AirTagged luggage was still in Montreal.
They started on a month-long search until they eventually discovered their lost luggage had been donated to charity by Air Canada- the airline carrier in which they flew.
The couple documented their misfortune through TikTok updates.
Air Canada had this to say for themselves, “This customer traveled late in the summer at a time when all air carriers in Canada were still recovering from the COVID-related, systemic disruption of the entire air transport industry. One consequence was an elevated rate of baggage delays.“
Tracking the AirTag to a Public Storage Facility
After filing a misplaced luggage report on Wilson’s bag, the Apple AirTag inside revealed that it was relocated to a public storage facility near Toronto.
The AirTag showed that the bag stopped at two homes on its way to the storage facility.
Nakita Rees was eventually compensated a maximum amount of $2,300 for her lost luggage, which only amounted to one-third the value of what was inside.
In a last-ditch attempt to salvage their baggage, the couple journeyed to Toronto Pearson Airport and asked for help from one of its managers.
However, he was unaware that such a storage facility existed – much less what had occurred with their luggage. It seemed as though all hope was lost for the hapless duo.
Police Assist in the Search for Lost Suitcase
But all was not over.
At this point, the police went to the facility to help the couple.
A vast stockpile of suitcases and bags filled the storage space, forming a breathtaking sight with heaps of luggage extending from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.
To their surprise, the couple was informed by law enforcement that their baggage had been given to a mysterious charitable organization utilizing the storage facility.
After Air Canada assigned an investigator to examine the case, 1,200 bags were scoured in their storage facility, and luckily, the item was located within just a day.
Finally Returned Home
After a long wait, their luggage was eventually brought right to their doorstep – over a month after it had gone missing.
On January 23rd, Rees delightedly notified their followers on TikTok that their luggage had been returned. Rees reported that the bag contained all its original items, including a bottle of wine.
AirCanada defended itself saying “In this particular case, the situation was compounded by the disconnection of the baggage tag at some point on the journey. Despite our best efforts, it was not possible for us to identify the bag’s owner. It was designated as unclaimed, and we moved to compensate the customer.“
The Moral of the Story
The moral of Nakita Rees and Tom Wilson’s story is simple yet powerful – always use an AirTag on your suitcase when traveling.
The couple was reunited with their luggage and the celebratory bottle of wine inside because the AirTag gave them invaluable information about their bag’s whereabouts.
So, if you’re planning on traveling, put an AirTag in your suitcase and never worry about losing it again!
A Simpler Low-Tech Solution
While an AirTag can be helpful for knowing where your suitcase is, it’s useless if the luggage tag gets somehow removed from your bag. Without the luggage tag, the airline doesn’t know whose bag it is or where it should go.
In this story’s case, the AirTag only served to help Nakita create entertaining viral TikTok videos showing that she knew where her bag was. Without the bad publicity of the videos, the Airline probably wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of searching through all the bags at the storage facility.
What she should have done is… Put her name, address, and cellphone number on a piece of paper inside the luggage. Even better, include the hotel, city, and phone number of the hotel you’re staying at.
With this information, the Lost Baggage department could have quickly gotten the lost bag to its traveler.
You can visit Nikita Rees TikTok for more details on this story.
Share this story using the Share Buttons below. I really appreciate you helping spread the word about my Free Daily Tech Tips for Non-Techies! 🙂
What is air tag and how do u employ it