I just returned home last evening from a successful Lord Derby Eland hunt in Cameroon with Alan Vincent.

I flew Turkish Airlines, and while both Emirates and Qatar are a better overall experience in my opinion, Turkish was pretty close. Turkish is very diligent in handling firearms and ammunition baggage, just like Emirates and Qatar. Yesterday, on arrival at San Francisco, their diligence along with having AirTags in each of my pieces of baggage resulted in recovering my rifle at SFO after a 2-hour search for my gun. I believe my gun may have disappeared for good but for having AirTags to identify where it was located.

First, I had the peace of mind knowing that my checked bags made it to Istanbul as the AirTags showed them at IST as soon as they were unloaded. I had a very short 1 hr., 45 minute connection but the AirTags showed my bags as ‘with you’ before we pushed back for my flight to SFO. That peace of mind was comforting as I was worried not only about them leaving Cameroon with me, but also making my connection.

On arrival at SFO, the AirTags App showed all my bags at the airport, so I knew all had gone well. My PelicanAir case came off as one of the first bags on the regular baggage carousel, I grabbed it and headed to the Oversized Baggage belt where my Tuffpak always shows up. On my way to get my gun, a fellow in uniform walked up to me, identified himself as a representative of Turkish Airlines and asked my name and that I had confirmation of the Pelican being mine. That went easily and he explained that he’d been sent a picture of my Pelican with the orange Gracy Travel luggage tag and that’s how he found me so quickly. Istanbul had sent a picture of my checked bags (the Pelican contained my ammo) to make sure they got into my hands instead of someone else. We proceeded together to oversized baggage and that’s where the AirTags saved my gun. We waited a good 15-20 minutes and the Turkish Rep. (a contractor, not actual airline employee) became concerned as he told me the Pelican and Tuffpak were loaded together into the same cargo container that was loaded onto the plane and were supposed to be among the first bags delivered to baggage claim. He called downstairs and was told the Tuffpak was the first bag loaded onto the oversized baggage belt, ahead of some golf clubs. The golf clubs were there, but not my Tuffpak. My AirTag showed the Tuffpak nearby, but not with me like it showed for my Pelican and carry-on bag.

We checked regular baggage again, then oversized, still no gun case. Finally the guy went downstairs himself to search for my Tuffpak in baggage handling. He was told the Tuffpak had been sent up quite a while earlier and after looking around for it and not finding it anywhere downstairs he came to tell me what he’d learned. By now, nearly an hour had passed. The guy went over to Customs to see if they’d grabbed my gun case by chance. Of course, they hadn’t. Now, the search was getting serious as the Customs agent was demanding that my gun case be found, no matter how many people it took to find it. The Customs officer was seriously pissed off, not at me but at them not knowing where my gun was and why it couldn’t be found. A Turkish Airlines official was on his way to assist, while the contractor went upstairs to departures to see if it somehow got sent up there (it hadn’t been).

The whole time, my AirTag showed the gun case in the same location and not moving, so another trip down to baggage handling for further search which didn’t turn it up. Nobody could find it, but we knew it was still somewhere nearby. Finally, with two contract guys, Customs and a Turkish rep all involved and nobody finding my gun, it suddenly came up on the oversized belt, fully 2-hours after my plane landed. Nobody could find it downstairs despite several searches, so my conclusion is that a baggage handler probably realized what was inside and decided to steal it, hiding it somewhere on the ground level. After the heat got to be too high, he put it on the baggage belt when everyone was back upstairs with me.

I’m thoroughly convinced that if I did not have an AirTag in my gun case, we’d have never recovered it as I wouldn’t have had proof it was nearby. They’d have had to search SFO, IST & DLA, not having any idea at which airport it was located. After this experience, I’ll never fly without AirTags in every bag, checked or carry-on.

That is great to know.

I also purchased 4 air tags for future travel.

Also having Tuffpak I have had other travelers trying to take my TuffPak. So I have placed some ribbons on the handles along with 2 Gracy tags the older lime green one and the newer orange one.

Can I ask you a question on where you placed the AirTag in or on the TuffPak?

I was looking at placing it on the inside of the lid under some foam padding that I have placed.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:
That is great to know.

I also purchased 4 air tags for future travel.

Also having Tuffpak I have had other travelers trying to take my TuffPak. So I have placed some ribbons on the handles along with 2 Gracy tags the older lime green one and the newer orange one.

Can I ask you a question on where you placed the AirTag in or on the TuffPak?

I was looking at placing it on the inside of the lid under some foam padding that I have placed.

My AirTag is taped into a recessed area of the lid with Black Gorilla Tape. Most people would not even notice it unless they knew to look for it there. My Tuffpak also has a large name plate they made that has my name and contact info on it. If anyone else has that case, they’d also need my ID to get past security.

I’m 100% convinced that a baggage handler intended to steal my Tuffpak & gun last evening and the only thing that prevented it was multiple people going downstairs to look for it and the Customs Officer demanding the name and ID Badge of whoever was found with my gun. I think the heat finally got to be too severe, so it was put on the belt after everyone had gone back to baggage claim. That couldn’t have happened without the AirTag showin where my gun was.

Dan,

Great outcome! I'm a believer after my last trip using TILES. Even if you don't have your luggage you know where it is which comforting in itself.

Mark

Great result!

Had a similar situation this past September, only in Joburg. Arrived on Qatar and wife’s bag popped out pretty quickly, bags stopped coming out and air tags showed both my bag and rifle case to be nearby. The meet and greet guy went as far as he could looking for them and finally got a SAPS officer interested enough to take him further. They found both items, took two hours and gave the thrived plenty of time to rifle my suitcase. Air tags definitely helped by showing approximate location. Got them on every e pensive piece of farm equipment, too.

This is great, glad you were able to recover your gun. I have AirTags in all my luggage and backpacks on the recommendation from others on AR posting similar stories in the past. Pretty cheap insurance policy at 4 for less than $100.

So where is the best place to buy air tags and which type of phone, android or the other type is needed. I also presume there is an app that needs to be down loaded once air tags are purchased?

I use airtags every time I travel!

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
So where is the best place to buy air tags and which type of phone, android or the other type is needed. I also presume there is an app that needs to be down loaded once air tags are purchased?

You can buy them on Amazon or any place that sells phones.

Apple Airtags only work with iPhone.

But, there are other similart tags that work with all phones.

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Talking about the simple Apple Airtags right ?


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quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
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Talking about the simple Apple Airtags right ?


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Yes.

And all others work exactly the same way.

I never travel without airtags and always carry spare batteries for them.

quote:

Originally posted by bwanajay:
I never travel without airtags and always carry spare batteries for them.

I change batteries every time I travel.

Cheap insurance.

I love them

I never had a lost gun or bag in 46 trips out of country. This last fall I started using tiles after hearing more reports of lost bags. Lo and behold 2 of my 3 trips this fall of 2023 bags missing and tiles helped recover them.

Air tags. Tiles. Same thing or different? Which is better and how do I get them? Thanks for those in the know.

Check on line.

I picked up 4 of them and a couple of AirTag holders that you are able to place on your carry on bag.

I clip one on my key ring for my Tuffpak key.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Air tags. Tiles. Same thing or different? Which is better and how do I get them? Thanks for those in the know.

work sort of the same way but I would say the network for Air Tags is much larger and therefore more efficient. No need for a special app or account with the airtags as long as you have an iPhone.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Air tags. Tiles. Same thing or different? Which is better and how do I get them? Thanks for those in the know.

Amazon.

Yep. I’ve still got an active AirTag on a piece of luggage that now resides in a very nice neighborhood in Johannesburg. Was at JNB for a couple of months but “could not be located”. Every time I want a case of the red ass, I just pull it up and take a look.

I have had them on every bag and my gun cases since they came out!!

The interesting thing is, they work better in some locales than others. In the US and Europe where iphones and ipads are prevalent they work much better than in, for example, Joberg where you find more Hawaei and android phones.

But I will never not use them for sure!

Wow! So glad all ended well and your bags made it along safely. I’ll definitely be using AirTags going forward…

Now for the more important thing…where is the hunt report?!?!