Apple has introduced a new feature in its latest iOS update that will make it easier for travelers to track down lost luggage. The “Share Item Location” option in the Find My app allows users to share the location of an AirTag or other Apple device with third parties, including airlines. By providing temporary access to real-time tracking information, airlines will be able to locate lost luggage more efficiently.
Over 15 airlines, including Delta and United in the U.S., will begin accepting Find My item locations in the coming months. Apple has worked directly with these airlines to ensure links can be shared safely and securely with airline and airport staff. The links will only be live for a week at a time, and shared location data will be disabled as soon as travelers are reunited with their lost bags.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said in a statement, “Find My is an essential tool for users around the world to keep track of and find their belongings.
Sharing item location with airlines
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.”
David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, commented, “We’ve worked closely with Apple to incorporate Share Item Location into our baggage recovery process.
We plan to accept Find My item locations in select airports initially, with the goal of introducing the service systemwide in early 2025.”
Erik Snell of Delta Air Lines emphasized the potential benefits, saying, “While more than 99 percent of checked items make it to their destination as planned, this feature will provide our team with extra visibility to reunite those items with their owners. It will enable us to locate items more efficiently and effectively.”
SITA, a leader in air transport technology, will integrate Share Item Location into WorldTracer, used by over 500 airlines worldwide. Nicole Hogg, SITA’s director of Baggage, mentioned, “This collaboration with Apple will make it easy for airlines that use our industry-leading WorldTracer solution to implement Share Item Location for more efficient baggage management.”
The Find My network, which facilitates this feature, utilizes a crowdsourced network of over one billion Apple devices that detect missing items via Bluetooth and report their location back to the owner.
The entire process is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, ensuring user privacy. Share Item Location will be available to all users as a free software update for iPhone X and later, once iOS 18.2 is officially released. This update from Apple may provide a significant improvement in helping travelers reunite with their lost luggage more efficiently and give them added peace of mind.
Cameron is a highly regarded contributor in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. His articles delve into the theoretical underpinnings of AI, the practical applications of machine learning across industries, ethical considerations of autonomous systems, and the societal impacts of these disruptive technologies.
