This is where Apple comes in.
Airlines are notorious for mishandling luggage, with some bags never finding their rightful owners. To address this modern-day hassle of air travel, over 15 airlines worldwide are partnering with Apple to help recover misplaced bags. Passengers will soon be able to share the location of their AirTag with airlines through a new feature called ‘Share Item Location,’ enabling airlines to reunite travelers with their luggage.
Related: You’ll Never Want to Check Your Bags Again After Reading These Recent Lost Luggage Stories
How Will It Work?
Passengers have begun traveling with AirTags or similar tracking devices in their luggage to assist airlines in the unfortunate event of delayed or lost bags. However, airlines often do not utilize this information, relying instead on their own tracking systems.
This may change with an upcoming update from Apple regarding its AirTags. In their announcement, Apple revealed that 15 airlines have partnered for this initiative, 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. More airlines are expected to join soon.
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If your luggage is lost and contains an AirTag, you can share its location via the Find My app on your phone. Apple stated that users can create a secure and private link to a website that displays the real-time location of the item. “The website will automatically update with new location information and will show a timestamp of the most recent update.”
The link can be disabled at any time and will automatically expire after seven days or once the owner is reunited with their luggage. Access to the link will be limited, requiring user authentication. Currently available in beta in select locations, this update is set to launch worldwide in December. Notably, the link will also function for individuals without Apple devices.
United’s Chief Customer Officer, David Kinzelman, emphasized that customers are already traveling with AirTags in their bags, and this new feature will enhance the efficiency of customer service agents. “We plan to accept Find My item locations in select airports initially, with the goal of introducing the service systemwide by early 2025.”
Delta Air Lines also commented on this development, stating that it will provide their team with greater visibility to reunite lost items with their owners. Senior Vice President of Airport Customer Service, Erik Snell, remarked, “This cutting-edge solution, developed by Apple in partnership with Delta Air Lines, will enable us to locate items more efficiently and effectively.”
What to Do If Your Luggage Doesn’t Arrive
In the summer of 2022, airports worldwide faced a significant crisis. Following a surge in travel demand post-pandemic and a labor shortage, airlines struggled to keep up, leading to widespread service breakdowns. Travelers arrived at airports only to find their bags missing, prompting frustrated passengers to share their experiences on social media, with images of crowded airport halls filled with misplaced luggage circulating online.
Two years later, the problem persists. With over 270,000 bags mishandled in August 2024 alone, it’s increasingly prudent to check in a bag with an AirTag.
Airlines are obligated to compensate passengers for delayed or lost luggage; however, liability varies based on several factors. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “Airlines are required to compensate passengers for reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses incurred while their bags are delayed.” It’s essential to file a complaint as soon as possible and retain receipts for all expenses incurred.
Your airline will attempt to locate the bag using their tracking systems and may declare it lost after five to 14 days. They are required to compensate you for the bag’s contents, subject to certain limits, and refund any fees paid for transporting the lost bag. If the airline does not declare the bag lost after a reasonable period, you can file a complaint with the department.
You can also make claims for mishandled or damaged luggage, although proving such claims may be more challenging.
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