An Apple AirTag helped a magician find his lost bag at Newark airport

Apple AirTag

Some AirTag owners who have had their belongings stolen have used the item tracker to actually get those things back. And the good news here is the magician was able to get their bag back, too.

As first reported by Insider, Orleans was on his way to Newark on Tuesday to take part in a local trade show. The luggage he was bringing with him included upwards of $1,500 worth of sound equipment, all of which Orleans uses for his performances.

Interestingly, after Orleans got off his flight at the intended destination, he checked the Find My app to see where his luggage was. And, sure enough, the bag had made the journey with him.

Orleans made his way to baggage claim to wait for his bag to find its way to him. And yet, it never did. When the bag didn’t show up, Orleans checked the Find My app again and noticed the bag hadn’t moved.

It was still on the tarmac.

The magician made his way over to United Airlines customer support, where he spoke to someone who told him that his bag was not, in fact, in Newark because it had never been checked in. Orleans showed the agent that the bag was at the airport, just not in the airport, but the clerk wouldn’t do anything to fix the situation.

They did say they could mail the bag, once it was located, to his hotel within five business days. Unfortunately for the magician, he was only in town for three days, and the items in the bag are essential for his show.

Upon closer inspection, Orleans found that his bag was located near Gate 90, despite the fact he arrived at a different gate. So, without any other options, he devised a plan: buy another ticket.

Orleans picked up a refundable ticket to Boston, made his way through security, and then went over to Gate 90. There, looking through the window, he could see his bag sitting on the tarmac.

Orleans’ bag sitting on the tarmac. Image source: Insider

“It was just sitting on the tarmac,” Orleans said. “The most frustrating thing is somebody walked past the luggage while I was watching it, and he just walked right past it, like it was not his job to get it.”

Eventually, Orleans did find a United Airlines employee who was willing to help, even after they admitted they had “never seen that kind of thing before.”

While Orleans watched from the window, the employee went out onto the tarmac and picked up the bag. The magician had to wait for a few more party tricks to finish, as the employee couldn’t give the bag back to Orleans directly, it had to go through the proper channels first.

Orleans returned his Boston ticket, retrieved his bag, and made it to his show on time. And, despite having his bag and his items, United Airlines emailed him on Wednesday to let him know they were still looking for his bag and they’d send it to him as soon as they located it.