Ever since the introduction of AirTags, Apple users have been placing them in their luggage in case a suitcase is lost. However, until now, this has only been helpful to the owner, letting them know where their bag was when the airlines didn't. Apple has announced a new feature that will allow you to share your AirTag's location with your airline. In turn, airlines are implementing changes to use this information to reunite you with your bags.
With the new Find My feature Share Item Location, launching with iOS 18.2, you can share a link to your AirTag's location with anyone you want, letting them visualize an interactive map with the item location. The location will update automatically, with the website showing the timestamp of the latest location. Regarding airlines, Apple announced that it will be partnering up with more than 15 companies, which will begin accepting Find My item locations as part of the customer service process for misplaced and delayed luggage.
To keep your data safe, the nature of the link only allows for it to be viewed by a small group of people, with each being verified via an Apple Account or partner airline email address. Additionally, links are only active for a week and are disabled once you're reunited with your item. “Apple has worked directly with partner airlines to put systems in place to privately and securely accept Share Item Location, leveraging the hundreds of thousands of Apple devices many airlines are already using,” the company said in a statement.
Among the first airlines to join this initiative are United and Delta Airlines, alongside international carriers such as Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling, with more airlines being added over time.
“We’ve worked closely with Apple to incorporate Share Item Location into our baggage recovery process and are excited to make this feature available to our customers soon,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, the first airline to announce their support for the feature. “We plan to accept Find My item locations in select airports initially, with the goal of introducing the service systemwide in early 2025.”
Of course, only AirTag users will have access to these perks. So. if you're a frequent traveler and haven't looked into getting an AirTag for your luggage, this may be the time to do it. It's also important to note that AirTags can't connect online on their own, so they don't offer real-time tracking. In reality, they rely on nearby iPhones and other Find My devices to share their location, showing only the latest timestamp available. Still, the information they provide will surely be a blessing when looking for a missing bag.
Source: Apple’s Find My enables users to share the location of lost items with third parties
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