One small addition to my luggage has given me complete peace of mind when I travel

pulse

July 17, 2017 9:57 PM

Luggage startup Away has partnered with Bluetooth tracker company Tile to create a subtle, stylish luggage tag.

The Away x Tile luggage tag costs $30 and attaches to any piece of luggage.

I'm not exactly a calm, cool, or collected traveler.

It's not for lack of trying: I always try breezing through the airport as if I know exactly where I'm supposed to go. I download my boarding pass to my phone like a real millennial, and I kick off my shoes and jacket as quickly as humanly possible while going through security so as not to hold up the line.

But the truth is, my first airplane ride was at 17 when I went on a school trip to Washington, D.C., and I didn't fly again until I was 21 and going to California for the first time.

All of this to say: I am not a traveling pro by any stretch of the imagination, so I eagerly accept any little little hacks that can make traveling easier.

So when luggage startup Away offered to let me try a new high-tech luggage tag it created in partnership with Bluetooth tracking company Tile, I decided to give it a shot. The tag looks like any other luggage tag, but it has a narrow slot in the back for a Tile Slim. For anyone with an Away suitcase, the new tag looks almost identical, but it's a bit bigger and a bit heavier duty.

I tested the new tag on a recent trip to Los Angeles. While I was lucky to snag a non-stop flight last-minute,

This was a frightening proposition for two reasons: I never check bags because that adds to the hassle of finding it once I disembark, plus it adds time waiting around at the airport. I'm not a seasoned traveler, so I'd rather just keep my suitcase with me at all times and avoid an added layer of confusion, even if it means dealing with tiny liquids.

My other worry was a thought everyone has when checking a bag: What if the airline loses it?

Thanks to this new Tile tag, though, that fear quickly dissipated.

pulse