Confusion after Lufthansa tweet declares ban on luggage trackers such as AirTags and Tile

A Tile Slim luggage tag tracker. Lufthansa has caused confusion after tweeting such devices are banned from checked baggage on flights.

On Monday, Lufthansa announced on Twitter a ban on activated baggage trackers from checked luggage, becoming the first major airline to do so.

Then the German airline appeared to backpedal their statement, causing confusion among travellers

Baggage trackers rose in prominence this year as passengers turned to the devices to keep track of their possessions amid an increase in lost and delayed luggage.

Reports of travellers using Apple AirTags to track down their lost luggage reached a crescendo during the peak June-July travel period, as the rate of mishandled bags spiked globally.

In July, Victorian Shane Miller's experience successfully locating his lost bags with an AirTag was a widely reported success story.

Miller's YouTube video, chronicling his mission into the Melbourne Swissport offices, led by the Apple tech, went viral soon after posting.

Then earlier this week, German carrier Lufthansa appeared to ban activated baggage trackers, claiming to be following guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). However, their messaging around the tech has left many confused.

"Lufthansa is banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off," Lufthansa tweeted on Monday.

"According to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result," the airline concluded.

Soon after the tweet, Airways Magazine published a statement issued by Lufthansa that read: "[the airline has] not banned AirTags and there is no guideline or regulation by Lufthansa to ban AirTags. There is a standing ICAO regulation on such devices, but this has nothing to do with Lufthansa or any other carrier."

The article led some online critics to speak out about the conflicting messaging.

"They literally released a statement today saying they are not banning air tags and yet they haven't told their twitter team?" wrote one Twitter critic.

Lufthansa has been contacted for comment.

Australian airlines Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia currently have no restrictions in place or plans to implement restrictions for Apple AirTags or baggage trackers packed inside baggage on board flights.

AirTags contain small CR2032 cell batteries, as opposed to the lithium ion batteries used to power laptops, mobile phones, tablets and other handheld devices, which have the potential to catch fire. Batteries rated higher than 100 watt-hours (100 Wh) can only travel in passenger carry-ons, not in checked luggage.

Bluetooth tracking devices have become the new air travel essential thanks to their ease of use and affordability, with the market leader AirTag retailing from about $45.

Trackers allow users to monitor luggage with a high degree of precision, particularly in the case of Apple's AirTags, which tap into the brand's global 'Find My' network of nearly a billion devices to locate lost items.

Those with an iPhone 11 or newer can track down an AirTag with a precision of up to about 60 metres away, as well as monitor luggage that has been lost or stolen.

Travellers who don't own the iPhone or iPad required to set up an AirTag have alternative options, such as the platform agnostic Tile tracker, available in a range of travel-friendly slim designs.

See also: Carry-on chancers and carousel squeezers: Nine things we want gone from flying

See also: AirTag leads police to luggage stolen from airport