How to share AirTag location with an airline to find lost luggage

Apple has added a Share Item Location option to the Find My app so AirTag users can securely share the precise location of a tracking tag attached to lost luggage with an airline.

Here’s how to use the new feature to show an airline employee that your luggage is actually right outside Concourse C at Atlanta Airport and not in Denver, where it is thought to be. You can even see the exact location of the luggage.

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Find lost luggage with AirTag -> save your vacation

You can attach an AirTag to anything that gets lost frequently. Or something important that would make you very sad if lost, like your luggage on the way to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving. Then, if the item goes missing, you can open Apple’s Find My app on your iPhone and get directions to the exact location of the tracking tag.

This has been an option since AirTag’s launch, but the information has been of limited use to travelers who wanted to show airlines how to find their lost luggage. This is where the new item location sharing feature comes into play.

Just note that it’s part of iOS 18.2, which is currently in beta testing. Nevertheless, the launch is expected next week and the current beta version is quite stable. If you want it for your Thanksgiving trip, you can sign up for the public beta.

Here’s how to use AirTag and Share Item Location to help an airline find your lost luggage

While finding your lost luggage using the Find My app is possible if there’s an AirTag hidden inside, it’s not the only option. A variety of tracker tags support the Find My app. There’s the Chipolo One Spot and Card Spot, the Pebblebee Clip and many others. You can even try this with a PlugBug Travel wall charger.

If your bag containing the tracker is lost, you can create a link to share the item’s location in the Find My application on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Someone you send this link to can view a website that shows the item’s location on an interactive map. Here’s what to do:

I’m using an iPhone for this tutorial, but the process is similar on iPad and Mac.

Start by opening the Find My appand then tap the “Elements” tab. at the bottom of the screen to open your list of tracker tags and trackable items. Tap name from the one that’s in your lost pocket.

This will open the screen for that item. Scroll down to Share the location of the article. Select it.

You will receive a pop-up window with a brief summary of the Share Item Location feature. Tap Carry on.

This will open a page labeled Article location ready for sharing. There is a link on this page that you can copy and send to the person looking for your bag. Alternatively, you can also tap Share link button. The usual one opens at the bottom of the page Share menu This gives you the option to send the required link via SMS, email, etc.

The link leads to an AirTag tracking website

The link you send provides access to a website that displays the location of your AirTag (or other tracker) on an interactive map. The site automatically updates when a new location becomes available and displays a timestamp of when it was last updated.

Don’t worry that by using this feature you are signing yourself up for tracking by anyone and everyone. Apple limits access to each link to a small number of people. Additionally, recipients must authenticate using their Apple account or a specific airline email address to view the link. And once your tracker tag detects that you are nearby, the Share Location feature will be disabled.

Now it’s up to your airline

Of course, the feature is useless if airlines don’t know what to do with the location links the flyers want to send them. And if you want to use the Share Item Location feature on your AirTag this Thanksgiving 2024, you may be ahead of the curve. Airlines may not be ready to handle it yet.

While Apple has been working directly with airlines to set up systems to support parts location sharing, the iPhone maker says airlines will be able to handle this “in the coming months.” So maybe not yet. Be prepared that your airline doesn’t yet know what to do with the location link you want to send them.

Still, more than 15 airlines are preparing to accept “Find My Item” locations as part of their customer service process to locate mishandled or delayed bags. The 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. Apple also plans to add more airlines over time.

Therefore, travelers should be familiar with the item location sharing feature in the Find My app and ensure they have an AirTag or similar tracker tag in their luggage. It could save your next vacation.