Name: Trakdot Luggage
What it is: A luggage-tracking device with artificial intelligence that combines microelectronics, accelerometer technology and GSM cellular connectivity for tracking and reporting its position whether it’s in a car, a parked airplane, etc. It goes to sleep when it senses the acceleration of a plane as it taxis. It wakes up after landing to text or email its location. GlobaTrac, the manufacturer, recommends using regular AA batteries because rechargeables don’t maintain voltage reliably enough to work with the device.
The good: Trakdot helps me check a bag with an airline, Amtrak or hotel without fear. Its ground-based cellular technology empowers my suitcase to report its location with messages on the way to the airport, before takeoff and after landing. Bluetooth luggage tags can’t do that. So far Trakdot has only texted good news — reporting that my bag and I are in the same airport. But I saw its real value when my friend and I landed at Heathrow, and she got a text from her Trakdot that her bicycle case was still at LAX. She raced to the airline counter to have them find her bicycle, which she needed for a triathlon in Dubai. She was reunited with her bicycle suitcase with the Trakdot inside before our flight the next night. Because many carriers no longer match passengers to bags on either domestic or international flights, Trakdot is a must-pack if you check luggage.
The bad: The annual fee seems like a lot for travelers who may need the service only once or twice a year.
Cost: $49.99, plus $19.99 for a one-year subscription
Available from: trakdot.com
