A new feature from Apple could help airlines find your lost luggage more quickly.
In an announcement on Monday, Apple introduced the “Share Object Location” feature. This feature allows you to share the location of an AirTag or Find My accessory with a third party, including airlines. Location sharing will be automatically disabled when the user retrieves their item. But the owner can stop it manually at any time. The share will expire after seven days, no matter what.
Here’s how it works.
Sabrina Oritz/ZDNET
Generate object location sharing link
If an item containing an AirTag or Apple device goes missing, you can generate a link to share the item’s location through the Find My app on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad. Anyone clicking this link will be able to see the missing device on a map, along with the timestamp of the last update.
Over the coming months, Apple will partner with more than a dozen airlines to integrate item location sharing into the official missing baggage search process. This list includes 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. Yes, no Air France or Transavia for the moment.
But Apple plans to add other airlines over time.
Only a small number of people will be able to see each link
If you’re concerned about security, only a small number of people will be able to see each link, Apple says. Recipients will need to authenticate to see the link, either through their Apple account or a partner’s email address.
This means that not just anyone will be able to see your link, at least on official customer service portals.
Additionally, the International Aeronautical Telecommunications Corporation, one of the world’s leading air travel technology companies, will integrate Share Item Location into WorldTracer, the leading baggage tracking system used by more than 500 airlines at 2,800 airports across the world.
