Many people have had the experience of landing in one destination and, at the same time, seeing their bags end up in another. Second SITAsupplier of information technology to airlines, approximately 6.9 pieces of luggage were lost per 1,000 passengers in 2023. Of those lost suitcases, about 5% were reported lost or stolen.
Apple has introduced a new feature that will allow users to share the location of an Air Tag tracker with third parties, such as airlines. In the Find My app, users will be able to generate and share a link to an Air Tag location as part of the “Share Item Location” feature.
The new service will be integrated into airline customer service at 15 carriers, including Delta and United, according to a <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/
Typically, Apple users can see the location of their Air Tags in the Find My app. Users will now be able to create a live update link that they can share with others.
The link will take you to a website that will show the real-time location of the Air Tag on an interactive Apple Map. Users can deactivate the link at any time and it will automatically expire when the user repurchases their Air Tag or after seven days.
David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said the company will incorporate item location sharing into its “baggage recovery process.”
“We know that many of our customers already travel with AirTags in their checked bags, and this feature will soon allow them to share location information with us securely, helping our customer service agents work more efficiently and offering our customers greater peace of mind,” Kinzelman said in a statement. “We initially plan to accept Find My Item locations at select airports, with a goal of introducing the service system-wide in early 2025.”
In addition to integrating item location sharing directly into some airlines’ customer service, the technology will be incorporated into the SITA baggage tracking system used by more than 500 airlines and 2,800 airports worldwide.
Apple’s new feature is available worldwide in beta and will be part of the iOS 18.2 software update, which is scheduled for release in December.
Since its launch in 2021, Apple’s Air Tag product has helped people track their belongings, from wallets to keys. Apple is betting that it will help alleviate the problems of travelers losing their luggage.
“The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users when traveling, providing valuable location information when bags are lost or mishandled,” Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Apple services. “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.”
Airlines that initially partnered with Apple to incorporate the feature into their customer service operations are Aer Ling
us, 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 Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling.
#Apple #airlines #find #lost #luggage
Here’s a summary of the provided content regarding Apple’s new Air Tag feature and baggage tracking:
Air travel can sometimes lead to lost luggage, with SITA reporting that approximately 6.9 bags were lost per 1,000 passengers in 2023, and about 5% of those reported as lost or stolen. To help address this issue, Apple has introduced a feature allowing users to share the location of their Air Tag tracker with airlines through the Find My app. Users can create a link for real-time tracking, which can be shared with customer service representatives at select airlines, including Delta and United.
David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, indicated that this feature will enhance the baggage recovery process and improve customer service efficiency. The service is expected to roll out in select airports in early 2025. Additionally, the new technology will be integrated into SITA’s baggage tracking system, which is used by over 500 airlines and 2,800 airports globally.
The feature will be part of the iOS 18.2 software update, set to be released in December, and it is currently being tested worldwide. Since its launch, the Air Tag has proved useful for tracking various personal belongings, and Apple hopes this new capability will help mitigate the luggage loss problem for travelers.