Over a dozen international airlines are to integrate Apple’s ‘Find My’ app and ‘AirTag’ location data into their baggage recovery procedures to aid the tracking of mishandled baggage.
Apple’s recent iOS 18.2 update offers a ‘Share Item Location’ feature that allows users to share location information with third parties such as airlines. The function allows travellers with an AirTag in their luggage to share the location of their luggage in the form of a hyperlink with airlines via their iOS mobile applications.
“The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users while travelling, 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,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior VP of Services.
The capability was launched on November 11 and, since then, 13 airlines have enabled the functionality of the feature on their iOS applications – United Airlines, Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Turkish Airlines, Aer Lingus, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Eurowings and Iberia.
United Airlines was the first to enable the function on December 12. The capability is only available at selected airports, however it is expected to roll out network-wide early this year.
