If you’ve been a subscriber to my free weekly newsletter, then you know that for the past two years I’ve been recommending Apple AirTags (buy them here) as a great way to keep track of your bags. They really became popular in the spring of 2022. That’s when airlines started facing an onslaught of travelers after pandemic restrictions were lifted and a shortage of workers, which combined, led to operational issues like record numbers of lost bags.
The scene at some airport baggage claims was insane – especially London’s Heathrow and Amsterdam’s Airport Schiphol. However, there were plenty of instances where the pile-ups at U.S. airports were comparable. I took the photo above at LAX.
Another reason why travelers should pop an AirTag in their checked luggage is not only to find their bag if it goes missing but to save time going to the baggage carousel after you land. Oftentimes, travelers (ahem, me) rush to get to baggage claim and bypass the cleaner, less crowded bathrooms in the terminal only to find the bags are delayed and you have to wait around a crowded area anyway.
Now, my wife and I simply open the Find My app and see when our bags are getting offloaded and then we make our way to the baggage carousel. This way, our little kids can use the facilities and we can meander leisurely to baggage claim without being in a mad rush.
One complaint from travelers whose bags have been lost is that the airline worker they were speaking to wouldn’t try and find their bag because it wasn’t showing up as lost on their computer system or they didn’t want to take the time.
But thanks to a new update, that’s about to change. According to Apple, “in the coming months, more than 15 airlines serving millions of people globally — including 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 — will begin accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags. More airlines will be added over time.”
Unfortunately, American Airlines (AA) one of the big three U.S. airlines, isn’t listed but I’m hoping that’s going to change. The one thing I do like about AA’s app is that you can track your bag in terms of when the luggage tag was scanned (at check-in, when the bag is loaded onto the plane, offloaded and arrived (see screenshot above). However, with Apple AirTags you can actually see it moving.
Apple also stated that they have “worked directly with partner airlines to put systems in place to privately and securely accept Share Item Location, leveraging the hundreds of thousands of Apple devices many airlines are already using. 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.”
A lot of frequent travelers and travel writers, including myself, are excited about this update, like Chris Dong who posted on Threads: “Absolutely huge news for people who have anxiety about losing their luggage. Not only is Apple integrating “Find My” with airlines directly, but the baggage-tracing system used by over 500 (!) airlines will start using this tech, too. AirTags are a must-have.”
View on Threads
Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, posted on Instagram: “You’ll soon be able to share your missing luggage’s AirTag location with airlines thanks to a new feature that is a part of Apple’s latest iOS update. “Share Item Location” will allow airlines to see where your bag is and hopefully allow them to get them to you sooner. 15 airlines, including @delta and @united will integrate this over the next several months, but hopefully more join the program and they also add an option for Android users.”
View this post on Instagram
Tech expert Kim Komando wrote about how to make sure your phone settings are set properly: “When your luggage is MIA at the airport carousel: Apple now lets you share your AirTags’ location with your airline (or anyone else). Open the Find My app, tap on your lost item, then tap Share Item Location > Continue > Share Link. If your bag is found, stop sharing its location anytime; otherwise, the link will expire in seven days.”
Have you used Apple AirTags to track down your bags? I even keep one in my carry-on in bag in case it gets lost or stolen.
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