Flying for work has become routine, but recent reports of an airport baggage tag-switching scam have changed how I travel.
The case involving a 66-year-old Filipino-Canadian traveler identified only as Grace was enough to make me rethink my habits. In July 2025, Grace arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport expecting to reunite with her family. Instead, she was arrested after authorities discovered more than 24 kilograms of methamphetamine inside luggage bearing her baggage tag. She insisted the suitcase wasn’t hers.
Investigators later concluded that she had fallen victim to an international baggage tag-switching scheme. Authorities said baggage handlers at Toronto Pearson International Airport had allegedly switched her baggage tag onto another suitcase containing illegal drugs. Grace spent 24 days in detention before investigators determined she had no involvement in the smuggling operation and released her. That story stayed with me.
Before, I never bothered taking photos of my baggage tags. Now, it’s part of my routine before every flight. On my recent work trip to Malaysia, I decided to add another layer of security.
Setting up the trackers
I packed a UGREEN FineTrack 2 inside my checked luggage and attached a FineTrack 2 Mini to my carry-on.
Since I use an iPhone, getting both trackers running took only a few minutes. Pairing them through Apple’s Find My app was straightforward, and they appeared alongside my other Apple devices without requiring another app or a separate UGREEN account.
The trackers support Apple’s Find My network, allowing them to be located almost anywhere Find My is available. They also feature a 110dB alarm, IP68 water resistance and a claimed battery life of up to seven years using a sealed, non-replaceable battery.
The long battery life means it’s not another gadget I have to remember to charge every few days. The trade-off, however, is that the battery isn’t replaceable.
Once it eventually reaches the end of its lifespan, the tracker itself will likely need replacing as well, unlike some trackers that let users swap in a fresh coin-cell battery.
A nervous baggage claim
The trackers became useful sooner than I expected. By the time I reached baggage claim in Malaysia, every suitcase had already been removed from the carousel and stacked into one large pile. At first, I thought it would save everyone time. Instead, I spent the next several minutes searching through dozens of nearly identical bags without spotting mine.
Two airport staff members joined me in searching. I opened the Find My app, which showed that my suitcase was with me. At the very least, I knew it hadn’t been left behind or loaded onto another flight.
I tried using the Play Sound feature, but the request wasn’t immediate and I never actually heard the tracker ring. From what I’ve since learned, delays can happen because Apple’s Find My network relays commands through nearby Apple devices rather than connecting directly to the tracker.
Even without hearing the alarm, seeing that my luggage was still nearby changed my mindset. Instead of wondering whether it had disappeared somewhere in the airport, I knew it was somewhere in the baggage hall. A few moments later, one of the airport staff returned with my suitcase.
Keeping my devices alive
Covering an event meant long hours away from my hotel room and constantly moving between venues, so finding an available power outlet wasn’t always an option. That was when the UGREEN MagFlow Air 10,000mAh power bank got the most use.
The power bank is slim enough to slip into a side pocket of my hand-carry, and at 39.2Wh, it’s within airline carry-on limits. It supports Qi2-certified magnetic wireless charging at up to 15W, but I found myself switching between magnetic charging and the built-in pull-out USB-C cable depending on what was more convenient at the time. The integrated cable also meant one less accessory to remember packing.
Performance was generally reliable throughout the trip, although I did encounter a few instances where my iPhone’s battery percentage appeared to stop climbing once it reached around 15%, even though it remained connected to the power bank.
I couldn’t determine whether the issue was with the phone, charging conditions or the power bank itself, as it only happened a handful of times and wasn’t something I could consistently reproduce.
Aside from that occasional hiccup, I never found myself rationing my phone’s battery or scrambling for a power outlet between appointments.
After the trip
The FineTrack didn’t magically locate my suitcase, but it gave me reassurance at a time when I needed it most. Seeing in Apple’s Find My app that my luggage was still nearby ruled out my biggest fear, which was that it had been left behind or mistakenly loaded onto another flight.
The MagFlow Air seamlessly became part of my workday, keeping my phone alive through long hours away from a power outlet. Although I encountered the occasional charging hiccup, it was compact enough that I never hesitated to keep it in my hand-carry. Meanwhile, the Nexode Air 65W charger proved its worth after my usual iPhone charging brick unexpectedly stopped working. I alternated between UGREEN’s Nexode Air 45W Slim and 65W chargers once I was back at the hotel.
The 45W model was particularly useful when dealing with awkwardly placed outlets. At just 11.7mm thick and around 53 grams, its flatter profile made it easier to plug into tighter spaces, such as a socket squeezed beside the bed. Despite the slimmer build, it delivers up to 45W through a single USB-C port, which was more than enough for charging my iPhone.
I interchanged it with the Nexode Air 65W from time to time. The 65W model is slightly heavier at around 73 grams, but offers up to 65W output through its single USB-C port and supports devices ranging from smartphones and tablets to laptops. Both support 100–240V input, which is useful when traveling internationally.
None of these accessories dramatically changed the way I travel. What they did was make the unexpected a little easier to deal with.
After reading about the baggage tag-switching case before my flight and experiencing a nerve-racking baggage claim in Malaysia, I no longer see luggage trackers as something meant only for frequent flyers or the overly cautious.
Much like photographing my baggage tags before checking in, carrying one has simply become another small precaution that offers a little more peace of mind.
That’s probably the best compliment I can give any travel accessory. The gadgets that earn a permanent place in my bag aren’t necessarily the ones with the longest list of features. They’re probably just ones that do their job when something doesn’t go according to plan.
