Bay Area man's lost luggage finally returns home. Here's how Apple AirTags and 7 On Your Side helped

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Here's how Bay Area man's lost luggage made it home

After visiting Europe, a Peninsula man's luggage decided to take a detour to London -- which he tracked with Apple AirTags.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Rod Moshiri of Redwood Shores visited Spain, Portugal and Italy. He flew home from Rome on ITA Airways and contacted 7 On Your Side when his luggage went elsewhere. Apparently, his luggage decided to take a detour to London.

7 On Your Side's Michael Finney asked Moshiri how he knew that.

"Thanks to Apple AirTags," he said. "I was able to track two" of his three bags.

And oh, what a trip they took.

"You could see the luggage basically moving in London Heathrow, for instance. It was moving from one side of the terminal to the other," Moshiri says.

That brought some peace of mind because Moshiri knew his bags hadn't been stolen and taken out of the airport. Since he knew where two of his bags were located, he tried to report it.

"You could not reach the airline or the luggage contractor service that they use in San Francisco," he says. "So there was no way to get a hold of anybody."

Except for 7 On Your Side. Moshiri made contact with us, and we reached out to the airline. Then Moshiri's luggage started its long trip home, with Moshiri following the progress via Apple AirTag.

"Travel from London to Rome to Los Angeles, sat there for about five days, then came back to San Francisco," Moshiri says. "The other luggage went directly from London to San Francisco, and the third one -- based on the tracking information that the lost luggage tracking shows -- it came from London directly as well."

The airline issued this statement: "ITA Airways apologizes for the disruption and confirms that the three pieces of the lost baggage have been returned to the customer who will receive a refund for the expenses related to the purchase of primary necessities... which occurred due to this inconvenience."

Moshiri says just the peace of mind of knowing where his bags were located made the purchase of Apple AirTags worth it.

Now you may be wondering if the Apple AirTags are approved for airline use. They are. Back in October, after Lufthansa voiced concerns, the FAA confirmed AirTags are allowed in checked bags.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

7OYS's consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues. Please review our FAQ here. As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If you do not wish us to contact them, please let us know right away, as it will affect our ability to work on your case. Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please allow 3-5 business days for a response.

You may also email 7OYS@KGO-TV.COM.

Please note the address uses the letter "O", not zeros. Be sure to include your full name, email, street address, and phone number.