iPhone Feature for Tracking Lost Baggage Expands to American Airlines

[MacRumors]

American Airlines now supports the iPhone feature that makes it easier to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage at airports, according to View from the Wing.

iOS 18.2 added a new feature to the Find My app that allows you to temporarily share the location of an AirTag-equipped item with others, including employees at participating airlines. This way, if you have put AirTags inside your bags, the airline can better help you find them in the event they are lost or delayed at the airport.

American Airlines rolled out support for the feature this week, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed. Other airlines that already offered the feature include Delta, United, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and more.

Here is what an American Airlines spokesperson told View from the Wing:

We've introduced the ability for customers to easily and securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory directly with the airline.

Customers can generate a link through Apple's Share Item feature available on iOS 18.2 or later and share it with American in the rare case when a bag is delayed for any trips with a segment from or to a U.S. airport. Customers just need to scan the QR code at the baggage office to start their claim and provide their information.

iPhone, iPad, and Mac users running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later can generate a "Share Item Location" link in the Find My app. Anyone they share the link with can then view a web page with a location of the item on a map. The page 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 is "limited to a small number of people," and airport employees are required to "authenticate" to view the link by signing into their Apple Account or partner email address.

The item's location stops being shared "as soon as a user is reunited with their item," or automatically expires after seven days.

iOS 18.2 was released in December, and Apple said that additional airlines will implement this feature over the coming months.

Article Link: iPhone Feature for Tracking Lost Baggage Expands to American Airlines

 

[ignatius345]

I've had good luck [knocks heavily on wood] getting my checked bags safely through my American flights, but I still definitely put an AirTag in there, just in case.

 

[cjsuk]

Now you can be immediately disappointed watching your luggage flying off to another country rather than unpleasantly surprised when it doesn't appear on the belt!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

...but know that your bag may be having a better vacation than you are.

Presumably next gen AirTags will have A.I. and can thus blog about their adventures without you. I wonder if mine will end up with more followers than I have???

 

[icanhazmac]

Finally, what the hell took so long? Thankfully, I have not experienced misplaced luggage, but I'm happy to know this is an option.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

They probably spent a couple of years trying to figure out how to monetize this as a service... you know, like getting to take along a bag when you travel. I believe they were trying to figure out a way to lump this in with the new fees to get to breathe the airplane's air while flying and having to swipe a card to use the restroom.

 

[hieranonymous]

Nice to see this rollout happening so quickly.

 

[Makosuke]

I’ve never actually lost a piece of luggage, but it’s nice that airlines are finally embracing AirTags as a way to help them make unhappy customers happier, rather than insultingly pretending that the unhappy customer doesn’t already know exactly where their lost bag is and refusing to use that information to help.

Now if only there was a way to prevent stealing stuff out of the suitcase—someone in the baggage handling chain stole a gift box of nice snacks out of my luggage a couple months ago, which was a first for me in 25 years of air travel. The AirTag in the suitcase wasn’t going to help any with that. Maybe someone will start selling suitcases with security cameras built in.

 

[Böhme417]

I’m curious how this works. Do airlines no longer ignore you when you tell them your bag isn’t where they say it is?

 

[ss2cire]

This is a very nifty feature. As others have said, I’m glad it’s rolling out quickly

With that said, I hope most everyone puts a tracker in their luggage, it just makes sense to do so.

Tiled or AirTag or other tracker, I hope they all are available for tracking luggage in a secure way.

 

[Yimbaz]

I just wanted to write a comment thanking Macrumors for actually using a headline that respects the reader, as opposed to certain other once-readable sites that have become infested with clickbait.

 

[ss2cire]

I’m curious how this works. Do airlines no longer ignore you when you tell them your bag isn’t where they say it is?

I’d hope, if you had an AirTag in the luggage you could show them that the luggage isn’t where you expected

 

[thefrost]

...but know that your bag may be having a better vacation than you are.

Presumably next gen AirTags will have A.I. and can thus blog about their adventures without you. I wonder if mine will end up with more followers than I have???

I'm sure Siri will document the experiences just fine. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

 

[DailySlow]

I’ve never actually lost a piece of luggage, but it’s nice that airlines are finally embracing AirTags as a way to help them make unhappy customers happier, rather than insultingly pretending that the unhappy customer doesn’t already know exactly where their lost bag is and refusing to use that information to help.

Now if only there was a way to prevent stealing stuff out of the suitcase—someone in the baggage handling chain stole a gift box of nice snacks out of my luggage a couple months ago, which was a first for me in 25 years of air travel. The AirTag in the suitcase wasn’t going to help any with that. Maybe someone will start selling suitcases with security cameras built in.

Little TSA approved locks are inexpensive and available from some place in Brazil. And by the way trackers (Tile/Apple/Gonzo "work with find my" ) have been invaluable to us.

 

[Böhme417]

I’d hope, if you had an AirTag in the luggage you could show them that the luggage isn’t where you expected

My parents’ luggage didn’t make it with them on a flight in 2023. When they tried showing the airline staff that the bags were still in the US (according to the AirTag) while they were in the UK, the airline basically told them they were wrong—the bags were at LHR; they just couldn’t locate them.

 

[CarpalMac]

So as well as losing your luggage, you get to lose an airtag as well!
I wonder how much it will help airline staff locate lost pieces AND get the returned, be good if it does improve recovery rates.

 

[trip1ex]

presumably next-gen airtags will immediately alert the airline that your bags are headed to the wrong plane so they can be rerouted before it's too late.

 

[jicon]

I've generally had one bit of luggage a year never make it on the airplane, so always convenient when plane is backing off the tarmac to know the luggage didn't make it, walk right up to the counter before the carousel spins, and put in a claim, saving about an hour of torment. Grab a ride home, and watch Find My over the next day as it gets to your door.

 

[icanhazmac]

I've generally had one bit of luggage a year never make it on the airplane, so always convenient when plane is backing off the tarmac to know the luggage didn't make it, walk right up to the counter before the carousel spins, and put in a claim, saving about an hour of torment. Grab a ride home, and watch Find My over the next day as it gets to your door.

That sounds really unlucky, can I ask how many times you fly a year? I fly between 4-8 times a year and very thankfully have never experienced a delay or loss.

 

[LordArchie]

Finally, what the hell took so long? Thankfully, I have not experienced misplaced luggage, but I'm happy to know this is an option.

Had this happen in Greece.. we could see the bag, but couldn't get help. Had it delivered a couple weeks later.

Glad to see this happen with AA since they are my choice of Airline

I don't use the "keychain" or obvious AirTag holders, but rather use these from Evolution Labs... Work really well just stuck inside the bag somewhere out of the way. $24.99 for 4 with the current Amazon Coupon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZVPWKK3/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[bLackjackj]

Here is what an American Airlines spokesperson told View from the Wing:

In the "rare case a bag is delayed" has to be the funniest comment by an airline!

Would they work with Apple if it were only "rare"? We know that bags get delayed, go missing, lost etc by the airline, do they think we're stupid?? Just look at the service desk queues after people land! 🤦‍♂️

 

[larrylaffer]

Little TSA approved locks are inexpensive and available from some place in Brazil. And by the way trackers (Tile/Apple/Gonzo "work with find my" ) have been invaluable to us.

The big downside with TSA approved locks is that there are master keys that can open them, and the specs for those keys have long since leaked. It's trivial to buy them online or even 3d print your own.

 

[LordArchie]

In the "rare case a bag is delayed" has to be the funniest comment by an airline!

Would they work with Apple if it were only "rare"? We know that bags get delayed, go missing, lost etc by the airline, do they think we're stupid?? Just look at the service desk queues after people land! 🤦‍♂️

For this reason, I rarely check a bag... The airline alone is often late, if I have a connection. I'm screwed. My personal data point

 

[LordArchie]

presumably next-gen airtags will immediately alert the airline that your bags are headed to the wrong plane so they can be rerouted before it's too late.

One could only hope.. would be nice to share your AirTag on your booking, we'd all know immediately

*I haven't thought that through, sure there are likely tons of holes in that idea

 

[icanhazmac]

Had this happen in Greece.. we could see the bag, but couldn't get help. Had it delivered a couple weeks later.

Glad to see this happen with AA since they are my choice of Airline

I don't use the "keychain" or obvious AirTag holders, but rather use these from Evolution Labs... Work really well just stuck inside the bag somewhere out of the way. $24.99 for 4 with he current Amazon Coupon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZVPWKK3/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&th=1

Agreed, I use these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8F6WY94