Summer is coming, and with it, suitcases pile up in the holds, on the conveyor belts... or mysteriously disappear during a layover. You may cross your fingers at takeoff, but the statistics are there: it still happens too often that luggage is misplaced, misdirected, or even forgotten somewhere on the tarmac.
An Apple feature that facilitates dialogue
Faced with this recurring nightmare for travelers, some have found a simple and effective solution: slipping an AirTag into their luggage. This little Apple accessory allows you to track the location of an object in real time via the Find My app. Practical, except that until recently, airlines didn't really take this data into account when you reported a lost bag. "Oh no, sir, we can't rely on that…"
Late last year, Apple quietly added a new feature to its Find My app via the iOS 18.2 update: "Share Item Location." It allows users to send a link to a third party (e.g., an airline) so they can see an AirTag's location in real time, for up to 7 days. The link is secure, end-to-end encrypted, and can be cut at any time by the baggage owner.
Since then, Apple has worked with several airlines to integrate this feature into their baggage handling systems. In concrete terms, this means that in the event of a problem, you can now share the exact location of your suitcase with the airline's customer service team - who will no longer be able to say that it is missing when you see it flashing on the other side of the airport.
Currently, around twenty airlines have joined Apple's program, including: United Airlines, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Vueling, Brussels Airlines, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Air New Zealand, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines.
Some, like United and Air Canada, even integrate the link into their own apps to facilitate the process. Others, like Cathay Pacific, ask the user to send the link by email, but the principle remains the same: you help the company find your baggage more quickly.
Before leaving this summer, many will remember to slip an AirTag into their luggage and check that their airline is on the list. It could well save them from spending their holidays in flip-flops and duty-free t-shirts.
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