Apple Announces iOS 18.2's New AirTag Location Sharing Feature Coming to These 15+ Airlines

[MacRumors]

Last week, we reported on a new feature in the Find My app on the iOS 18.2 beta that allows you to temporarily share an AirTag's location with a trusted person, and soon with airlines. Apple today announced the feature, providing more details.

Apple said more than 15 airlines will offer the feature "in the coming months," including Delta, United, Air Canada, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, and Vueling. More airlines will follow "over time."

United is aiming to implement the feature systemwide in "early 2025," according to a quote the airline provided in Apple's press release.

The feature will be integrated into each airline's customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed baggage, according to Apple. This will make it easier for the airline to help find lost bags with an AirTag attached to them.

iPhone, iPad, and Mac users running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 can generate a "Share Item Location" link in the Find My app. Anyone they share the link with can then view a website with a location of the item on a map. The website will automatically update with the item's latest known location.

Apple said it worked directly with airlines to put systems in place to "privately and securely" accept the "Share Item Location" links. Access to each link will be "limited to a small number of people," and recipients will be required to "authenticate" to view the link through either their Apple Account or partner email address. The item's location will stop being shared "as soon as a user is reunited with their item," or at any time that the item's owner decides. An item's shared location will automatically expire after seven days.

"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," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue. "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."

In addition to items equipped with an AirTag, the feature also works with third-party accessories and item trackers that support the Find My network.

Apple previously confirmed iOS 18.2 will be released in December, and that means iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 should also be available then.

Article Link: Apple Announces iOS 18.2's New AirTag Location Sharing Feature Coming to These 15+ Airlines

 

[headlessmike]

In five years AirTags will be Apple’s main revenue source.

 

[adamw]

Locate my lost luggage quicker... what a novel idea. Will this cut down on luggage theft by airline/airport employees or other thieves?

 

[ourguile]

Always include mine with my luggage. Haven't had to rely on it yet (thankfully) but I think it's becoming commonplace enough that this move makes sense.

 

[miguelcoma]

Next step for Apple: set up temporary "safe zones" for the Notify When Left Behind menu. Example use case: you are staying at a hotel for a weekend, set the hotel location as a temporary safe zone for all of your items until Sunday at 11am when you are planning to check out. That way you won't be getting notifications when you leave the hotel during your stay and all your luggage is obviously in your room.

 

[gstevie]

Would be good if they could install beacons in the airports. That way you’re not relying on staff having an iPhone on them to relay the location data.

 

[zorinlynx]

It's about time airlines are embracing this! I remember when at least a couple airlines tried to *ban* these; how crazy do they have to be to ban something that helps both the airline and customer locate lost luggage?

Basically, it's the airline's job to keep track of luggage. AirTags are just helping them with their own job they already have. They should have been for this from day one!

I hope to see more airlines on the list soon; American Airlines is conspicuously missing and I fly them a lot.

 

[ignatius345]

Always include mine with my luggage. Haven't had to rely on it yet (thankfully) but I think it's becoming commonplace enough that this move makes sense.

I think (or at least hope!) that the airlines are finally putting some official processes in place to deal with customers' luggage trackers.

 

[chenks]

shame none of the airlines that are the most likely to lose your luggage aren't included, but i guess there's a reason why they wouldn't want to be included.

 

[Will Co]

shame none of the airlines that are the most likely to lose your luggage aren't included, but i guess there's a reason why they wouldn't want to be included.

But that's a great point. By having this extra feature, surely this drives competition. Customers who do experience a luggage loss with such airlines will presumably be pressing via social media for those airlines to implement. And in turn maybe that drives them to improve their handling. Then again, that might be completely naive and it won't make a blind bit of difference.

Still - great work from Apple. I use a tag whenever I'm flying in all my luggage items.

 

[orbital~debris]

Love when Apple do these partnership announcements – so good, and appears so simple but you can bet there's been a lot of work in the background to make this all ready to go.

 

[apple contributor]

Locate my lost luggage quicker... what a novel idea. Will this cut down on luggage theft by airline/airport employees or other thieves?

Well, (don’t mean to hate) but if someone from the airlines steals your baggage, he will soon realize you know it’s location, which could result into getting the baggage back.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you will get back all the things inside 😬

 

[jent]

Next step for Apple: set up temporary "safe zones" for the Notify When Left Behind menu. Example use case: you are staying at a hotel for a weekend, set the hotel location as a temporary safe zone for all of your items until Sunday at 11am when you are planning to check out. That way you won't be getting notifications when you leave the hotel during your stay and all your luggage is obviously in your room.

The novel part of this is the expiration / temporary nature of the designation, right? Because you can already select "Trust location."

 

[victorvictoria]

If you've ever had your baggage lost (7 times for us, always on connecting flights), you want this feature. Especially if you've ever encountered a "less than helpful" attendant at the lost luggage counter (every time).

One of those times, we had a suitcase mistakenly taken by another passenger. Sure would have liked an AirTag for that one! Here's a tip I read somewhere: put the tag in some hidden compartment, otherwise a thief will just take it out and throw it away.

 

[axantas]

Locate my lost luggage quicker... what a novel idea. Will this cut down on luggage theft by airline/airport employees or other thieves?

If this is not convincing enough for you, I would suggest, you report this as a suggestion to Apple...
Maybe they will drop it, due to unresolved side occurrencies.

 

[jent]

Innovative and impactful. The airlines never would have come up with something like this, and finally see how it's in their interest to allow/partner. Kudos to Apple!

 

[jicon]

This type of thing saves time and stress. I recently had a bag remain by the airplane, so when I land, instead of waiting an hour for baggage, I immediately walk to the desk and file a report. I go home, and start seeing the bag move the next day at peace that it'll be at more doorstep soon enough.

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

On my last international trip my bags were misplaced due to a flight change. The AirTags told me they were about 100 meters from where i was standing but the Airline had to follow their lost baggage procedure paperwork. You couldn’t just walk over there. So three days later my bags were delivered to my hotel. At least I knew my bags weren’t really lost.

 

[axantas]

If you've ever had your baggage lost (7 times for us, always on connecting flights), you want this feature. Especially if you've ever encountered a "less than helpful" attendant at the lost luggage counter (every time).

One of those times, we had a suitcase mistakenly taken by another passenger. Sure would have liked an AirTag for that one! Here's a tip I read somewhere: put the tag in some hidden compartment, otherwise a thief will just take it out and throw it away.

Your last sentence brings up an idea to me: If you grant one of these Airlines access = tell AirTag to stay quiet in any situation. Could be done even befor checking in.

 

[gluckett]

Wait - United is on the list, but American isn't? That makes no sense.

 

[Tevosn]

Does anyone know if the update, or a coming, update includes a feature for hearing impaired that can send sound from ex the left AirPod to the right AirPod? Could be a nice feature if you are completely deaf on one ear.

 

[NightFox]

Waiting for EasyJet and Ryanair to start offering it as a £25 option

 

[cr2]

I remember when at least a couple airlines tried to *ban* these; how crazy do they have to be to ban something that helps both the airline and customer locate lost luggage?

Are you serious? That is stupid.

 

[ChrisA]

.... a feature for hearing impaired that can send sound from ex the left AirPod to the right AirPod? Could be a nice feature if you are completely deaf on one ear.

This feature has existed for some time. Set the airpods to "mono" and then both earpods play both channels. Then you can place either airpod in the good ear as they would both be playing the same sound.

Then if you like, use the balance slider to turn off the unused airpod.

But this thread is about airtags.

 

[Hank001]

Locate my lost luggage quicker... what a novel idea. Will this cut down on luggage theft by airline/airport employees or other thieves?

I don't think so. I can only assume it'll trigger theft, as only rich folks use AirTags, thusly their suitcases get searched by underpaid luggage employees.