Airline Companies Lack Justification in Locating Your Luggage when Utilizing This Specific AirTag Feature
Airline Companies Lack Justification in Locating Your Luggage when Utilizing This Specific AirTag Feature
Unfortunately, airlines persistently face challenges in locating misplaced luggage despite the abundance of tracking devices. When it happens, it's typically frustrating for the bag's owner, who may deal with the airline denying the bag's existence. Apple recently introduced a new feature to their Find My service to help in such situations. The feature, called Share Location, allows you to share the location of an AirTag with a third party, making it easier to prove that an airline lost your bag.
United Airlines is the first major airline group to incorporate Apple's Share Location feature for the AirTag into their mobile app. To use it, you'll need the latest iOS 18.2 update, available for the iPhone Xs and above. This feature allows you to generate a shareable link through the Find My app and attach it to a delayed baggage report. You can also choose to stop sharing the data before your item is found. The Share Location link automatically expires after seven days.
Apple has stated that the location sharing is end-to-end encrypted, so only you, the user, and the third party can access the link. If you're flying United, once your bag fails to appear on the conveyor belt, you can file a delayed baggage report and link the Share Location. The link can be generated via iPhone, iPad, or a Mac. After you submit the report, United will use that link to locate your bag and, hopefully, retrieve it. United promises to disable the shared location when you're reunited with your bag.
I'm curious about the airlines' perspectives as they celebrate the support of a feature that effectively reports them if they fail to return a bag according to protocol. United's press release emphasizes that they're one of the first major airlines to adopt this new bag tracking method, but not without mentioning that Apple's Share Location will "significantly enhance the customer service experience for the less than 1% of customers whose bags arrive on a later flight." This percentage comes from a statistic from last year that claimed only a small percentage of people ever have to deal with lost bags.
Regardless, that percentage is still too high. Airlines make it challenging to keep your bag with you and charge for the privilege of keeping it nearby. It's unfortunate that they see this as a minor issue that affects a small group of people. On most of my flights this year, I've seen passengers who board the plane last being forced to check their bags due to a lack of overhead bin space. The bins would probably be sufficient if not for the high cost of checking the bag from the outset. It's a losing situation for the customer, so Apple is proud to inform its users that it has introduced a way to help circumvent the bag checking politics.
Over a dozen airlines will start implementing this tracking feature, including most of United Airlines' partners, such as Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines. Apple has mentioned that more airlines will join in over time.
As for Android users, they have a few options. All Android users have access to Find My Device. If you're using a Samsung device, the company has its own tracking network for the ecosystem. Third-party companies like Tile also allow you to share a device's location with another party.
This tech innovation in bag tracking could shape the future of the aviation industry, as Apple's Share Location feature for AirTag becomes a standard among major airlines like United. Android users can utilize alternatives like Find My Device, Samsung's tracking network, or services from companies like Tile to ensure their lost items can be located more effectively.