United Launches Real-Time Apple AirTag Baggage Tracking
A new feature on the app allows passengers to share location data directly with the airline
Photo: Courtesy of United Airlines
United Airlines passengers who lose their luggage while traveling now have a new tool to help recover their belongings, as the airline has become the first in the country to integrate Apple’s AirTag technology into its mobile app.
A new feature on the airline’s app, dubbed ‘Share Item Location,’ allows passengers who track their luggage with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the live location of their lost bags directly with the airline.
United’s customer service team can then use this information to locate any passengers’ lost luggage and return it to them promptly.
Share Item Location Feature
Should a United passenger’s luggage be lost in transit, which the airline claims happens to less than one percent of its customers, then they can go to the United app and file a delayed baggage report. Now, passengers with AirTags can create a Share Item Location link on the Find My app and then add that link to the report on the United app.
Photo: Courtesy of United Airlines
Once this link has been shared, a United customer service agent will be able to view the missing baggage’s location in real time, allowing them to find the luggage and return it to their owners.
Privacy and Security Measures
United also says that sharing any customer’s location data is private and secure, and it will be automatically disabled once the luggage is returned. Customers can also stop sharing the location anytime, while the link will also expire automatically after seven days.
The Share Item Location feature is now available on iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 operating systems.
Photo: Apple AirTag. Courtesy of Apple
“For years, every customer has been able to track the journey of their bag through the United app as it is scanned on and off the plane, and previously, they didn’t have a way to directly share their AirTag information with our baggage team,” said David Kinzelman, Chief Customer Officer at United.
“Now, Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice. They can easily and securely share that with us in the United app, and our team can use the location information to find the bag and get it reunited with its owner much more quickly.”
Integration by Other Airlines
According to Apple, other airlines planning on integrating its AirTag tracking technology into their own systems include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling.
