Airlines Using Apple AirTags To Track Lost Bags

As any frequent traveler knows, Apple AirTags are invaluable for tracking bags, especially given the rates at which some airlines mishandle bags. The issue is that while Apple AirTags can tell you where your bags are, there hasn’t been much integration with airlines, in terms of being able to share that information with third parties.

Several weeks ago, we learned about an exciting development when it comes to AirTags. There’s now an update, as United has announced how it’s rolling out this technology.

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Apple Find My allowing users to share location of lost items

Apple has introduced Share Item Location, a new iOS feature that helps users locate and recover misplaced items by easily and securely sharing the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties.

While this can be useful in a variety of situations, perhaps the best use case is for airlines, when a bag is misplaced or lost. If you’ve ever dealt with a misplaced bag and had an Apple AirTag, you’re probably aware of how frustrating this can be. You might know exactly where your bag is, but actually sharing that information with an airline (and getting them to act based on it) is easier said than done.

This new feature is available as part of iOS 18.2, which is available to all users as a free software update for iPhone Xs and later. For those worried about privacy, the shared location will be disabled as soon as a user is reunited with their item, and can be stopped by the owner at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.

Here’s how Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, describes this new technology:

“Find My is an essential tool for users around the world to keep track of and find their belongings. The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users while traveling, providing invaluable location information when bags have been misplaced or mishandled. With Share Item Location, we’re excited to give users a new way to easily share this information directly with third parties like airlines, all while protecting their privacy.”

The airlines that will use this new technology

Of course the technology being available is only one part of the equation, as that’s only so useful if airlines aren’t onboard with it. So there’s good news on that front. In the coming months, more than 15 airlines will begin accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags.

The initial airlines will include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling. More airlines will be added over time.

United now using this technology for delayed bags

United is a leader among airlines when it comes to technology, and this is no exception. United has announced that customers can now securely share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with customer service agents through the United app for faster bag recovery. This can potentially help the fewer than 1% of customers whose bags arrive on a later flight.

Here’s how United Chief Commercial Officer David Kinzelman describes this development:

“For years, every customer has been able to track the journey of their bag through the United app as it is scanned on and off the plane, and previously, they didn’t have a way to directly share their AirTag information with our baggage team. Now, Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access to their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice. They can easily and securely share that with us in the United app, and our team can use the location information to find the bag and get it reunited with its owner much more quickly.”

Here’s how United’s implementation of this works:

• In the event a bag doesn’t arrive to its final destination, customers can file a delayed baggage report in the United app, and those who travel with an AirTag or Find My network accessory can additionally create a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and add that to the delayed baggage report in the United app.
• Once the report has been submitted, United customer service agents will receive the Share Item Location link and be able to view the location of the item on an interactive map; the map will automatically update when a new location is available and show a timestamp of the most recent update
• United will use the shared location to more quickly find delayed bags and reunite them with customers
• For customers’ privacy and security, the shared location will be disabled as soon as a customer is reunited with their bag, can be stopped by the customer at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days

Bottom line

Apple AirTags are getting much more useful, as they won’t just be valuable for being able to track your bags, but they’ll also be useful for airlines to track your bags, when misplaced or lost. This is entirely voluntary and is built with security in mind, so I’m a huge fan of this.

Apple AirTags are awesome, but for situations where I’ve had misplaced bags, the biggest frustration was that I knew where my bags were, but airlines didn’t, and there was no easy way to share that information. United is now leading the way with rolling out this technology, and I’m delighted to see it.

What do you make of being able to share Apple AirTag locations with airlines?