Airlines Can Soon Track Lost Luggage With Apple's 'Share Item Location'

Apple users can soon share the location of an AirTag or any device on the Find My network.

The feature, dubbed Share Item Location, is available now with the iOS 18.2 beta in "most regions worldwide," Apple says. With the formal launch of iOS 18.2, expected in early December, Share Item Location will go out to all users with the iPhone Xs and later.

Users can generate a location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac and send it to other people and soon airlines. AirTags have helped travelers locate missing baggage on numerous occasions. They've also tracked down stolen cars and packages.

The link recipient will see a website with the item's location on an interactive map. The map updates automatically when a new location is available and has a timestamp.

For privacy reasons, the shared location link will be disabled as soon as you're reunited with your item or expire automatically after seven days. You can also stop the link sharing at any time. This could prevent Share Item Location from aiding bad actors in stalking people and tagging cars to steal. One person could tag a car, for example, and then share the location with another person to steal it.

Apple has arranged a roster of over 15 airlines that will accept Find My Item locations as part of their customer service process for locating lost and delayed baggage, with more being added over time. The current list includes 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.

United Airlines plans to roll out a new customer service process in early 2025 that will allow customer service agents to access Find My item locations in select airports to start.

“We know many of our customers are already traveling with AirTag in their checked bags, and this feature will soon make it easier for them to share location information with us safely and securely, helping our customer service agents work more efficiently and giving our customers added peace of mind," says David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer.

Delta Air Lines says the "cutting-edge solution, developed by Apple and in partnership with Delta Air Lines, will enable us to locate items more efficiently and effectively.”

When Apple users share a location with a customer service agent, only a small number of people can view it, and each recipient must authenticate themselves.

Share Item Location will also be built into WorldTracer, a baggage tracing system "used by over 500 airlines and ground handlers at more than 2,800 airports around the world," Apple says.