It’s soon going to be a lot easier to locate lost luggage as Apple has announced major airlines, including Air Canada, will start using Find My Location tech.
This new feature comes with the latest iOS 18.2 update and allows users to share a link with the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory, helping them find and recover lost items. The “Share Item Location” is available now in most regions around the world and will soon be available to users on iPhone Xs and later once the update is available.
Apple says the shared location will be disabled once a user is reunited with their item, can be stopped by the owner any time and will automatically expire after seven days. Starting this week, Apple Marketing Chief Greg Joswiak has confirmed Air Canada, United and Delta will begin using the feature to help track delayed bags.
Exciting news for all of us travelers! Starting this week, United, Delta, and Air Canada will accept Find My item locations to help track delayed bags, with more airlines coming soon. Such a game-changer! pic.twitter.com/VMcw0D1At0
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) December 16, 2024
“Find My is an essential tool for users around the world to keep track of and find their belongings,” Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue said in a press release.
“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,” he continued.
In the coming months, Apple has confirmed more than 15 airlines will be implementing this feature globally as part of its customer service process.
Airlines 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. Additional airlines are expected to be included over time.
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Users can access the link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple assures access to each link will be limited to a small number of people, and recipients will be required to authenticate in order to view the link through either their Apple Account or partner email address.
Online, travellers are eager to begin using the feature.
“This is some awesome work. In integrating a great product where it makes sense to do so. Kudos to these airlines for working together with Big Tech to make our lives easier,” one X user said.
“This is MASSIVE news. For years, airlines were trying to ban the use of air tags. Embracing them is a great way of ensuring customers can get their lost bags back quickly,” another user said.
“AirTag is becoming the ultimate travel hack!” another comment read.
