New: help the airline find your lost luggage

braumeister

braumeister

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When your next iPhone update is released in December, you'll be able to help the airline track down your lost luggage by sharing an Airtag location with them. Apple said that
more than 15 airlines serving millions of people globally — 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 — will begin accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags. More airlines will be added over time.
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Of course, this is likely to lead to a boost in Airtag sales, but I think it also has the potential to eliminate a lot of frustration.

Apple’s Find My enables users to share the location of lost items
 
We will see if it helps, as so far even stories where the person shows their airtag location specifying the lost luggage location, the airline personal didn't care, and would just repeatedly say the luggage was in X when it really was in Y. Wouldn't even look.
 
Sunset said:
We will see if it helps, as so far even stories where the person shows their airtag location specifying the lost luggage location, the airline personal didn't care, and would just repeatedly say the luggage was in X when it really was in Y. Wouldn't even look.
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If you read the article, you'll see that this is something the airlines are building in to their systems. It's not just sharing with some random clerk.
 
With the technology already in place, why don't the airlines just incorporate it in all their baggage? Do air tags cost a lot? They could attach them with the UPC tag they place on all bags. If they cost a significant amount, the airline could charge a refundable fee for the "service." When you get to your airport baggage, you could rip the tag off, stick it in a machine that credits you back the cost of the air tag.
 
braumeister said:
If you read the article, you'll see that this is something the airlines are building in to their systems. It's not just sharing with some random clerk.
Click to expand...
The stories I read were not sharing with a random clerk, they were sharing with the lost baggage people, who would claim the luggage was somewhere else, or lost, or still on a plane, etc .

The airline system doesn't work (which is why baggage gets lost). Now they will have a new way to lose the luggage ;) :D

Will a person be able to Un-share the link ? Maybe they can now, I don't have Apple things.
 
Been using AirTags for a couple of years now, nice to be able to see your luggage getting on the plane as you're taking your seat. Same as landing and you know for sure your bags made it. I'd have no issues with allowing the airlines to find my bags although I know there's a ton of people that are afraid of airlines or "Big brother" tracking you. I also have AirTags hidden in both our vehicles, cheap insurance if they get stolen. Also, Costco has the best deal on a 4 pack of AirTags. Might be a good Christmas present idea for some of you people. I had also read somewhere that Android was coming out with an app so there users could also use AirTags.
 
There are long periods in the airport and on the flight where nobody with an iPhone is nearby to pick up the tag and pass along location data.

But overall very handy.
 
Sunset said:
We will see if it helps, as so far even stories where the person shows their airtag location specifying the lost luggage location, the airline personal didn't care, and would just repeatedly say the luggage was in X when it really was in Y. Wouldn't even look.
Click to expand...
My experience with lost luggage, which has actually been rare, is that the airline information is usually wrong even when they swear by it! As stated in a previous post, my delayed luggage to Sweden was reported delivered to Hawaii last summer...case closed, no way to reopen case. Luggage fortunately showed up at hotel. In that situation I tracked my luggage in the United app but they lied the whole way.
 
I wouldn't mind sharing my AirTag info with the airline but would want to stop the sharing after the bag is retrieved. I just don't like the idea of more of my data being "monetized".

I love having an AirTag in my bag. I've used it multiple times to navigate my way on a walk back to my hotel and once used it to track down the bag when I was in a tour group and had left my bag out the night before departure. I was on the later shuttle to the airport and when I met the group in the lobby my bag wasn't there. AirTag app showed it was already at the airport. Guide called and it was with the security people. Sigh of relief. They'd told the late shuttle group to have their bags out by 8 AM and I just figured I'd put mine out before I went to bed and if it got picked up with the early shuttle bags they'd sort them out. They did not. Lesson learned.
 
If Apple really wanted to be helpful, this is the one product they'd enable for cross platform (ie, non iPhone users).

The android subs are not yet as good. But we're not an Apple house and probably never will be!
 
DH has an iPhone so I bought a pack of AirTags. I have found that in many instances they are not as informative as I would like. Part of the issue is that I had to set them up with DH’s phone. He doesn’t pay much attention to his phone. The tags would be much more useful if I could monitor them on my phone.
 
SecondAttempt said:
My experience with lost luggage, which has actually been rare, is that the airline information is usually wrong even when they swear by it! As stated in a previous post, my delayed luggage to Sweden was reported delivered to Hawaii last summer...case closed, no way to reopen case. Luggage fortunately showed up at hotel. In that situation I tracked my luggage in the United app but they lied the whole way.
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Should I say "I'm shocked" or is that a given? :facepalm: :cool:
 
"There are long periods in the airport and on the flight where nobody with an iPhone is nearby to pick up the tag and pass along location data"

Safe to say that during the actual baggage handling onto and off the plane there are plenty of people with iPhones nearby. Not once have I not seen my bags give an accurate location.
 
FIYes said:
DH has an iPhone so I bought a pack of AirTags. I have found that in many instances they are not as informative as I would like. Part of the issue is that I had to set them up with DH’s phone. He doesn’t pay much attention to his phone. The tags would be much more useful if I could monitor them on my phone.
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Sure, DH and I do this for each other’s e-bikes.

If the person you would like to share an AirTag with has an Apple Account (formerly known as AppleID) then you may share your AirTag with them. They don’t necessarily need an iPhone, maybe they have an iPad or MacBook. If the other party accepts the invitation then they will be able to locate your AirTag (in the Items section of the Find My app, or at the icloud.com/find website) and be notified when the battery needs to be replaced. The friend will not receive a warning that a strange AirTag is traveling with them.

You may also unshare your AirTag anytime.

Here’s the Apple Support page on sharing AirTags:

Share an AirTag or other item in Find My on iPhone

Share an AirTag in Find My so you won’t receive unwanted separation alerts.
support.apple.com

Another Apple Support page on finding a lost AirTag:

Use Find My to locate your lost Apple device or AirTag - Apple Support

If you lose your Apple device, personal item connected to an AirTag, or other Find My network accessory, use Find My to find it or mark it as lost to protect your device and personal information.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
We're not in the Apple ecosystem, so it is a no-go for us.

Our luggage was delayed from Frankfurt to USA due to tight connection. That airport is a mess. To Lufthansa's credit, we knew the minute we touched down and turn on our phones. They texted us that our luggage missed the flight and we could sign up for delivery info and tracking. We knew enough to skip waiting and just go home. It worked well and we knew where our luggage was each scan, including being put on the final delivery van to our home. I realize this is not the same as an Airtag, it requires their scanning and their paper tags to work. Yes, I get it: not the same as Airtag, but at least we knew what info they had.

Aside: big props to the handlers at Dulles that got our luggage on our outbound flight that only had a 25 minute window for them, 12 for us. I don't know how they did it, but they were heroes for saving us grief of missed luggage on a transcontinental outbound flight. We just assumed it was missed and forgot about it, assuming we'd have an ugly task at landing. Ignorance is bliss, but I suppose knowing it made it with the Airtag would have been even more comforting.
 
An airline lost my bags last summer and I was getting the run around…. until I told them there were AirTags in the bags and I knew exactly where they were. They quickly put me through to someone else and had bags next day.
 
6miths said:
An airline lost my bags last summer and I was getting the run around…. until I told them there were AirTags in the bags and I knew exactly where they were. They quickly put me through to someone else and had bags next day.
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Heh, heh, did you? (Have AirTags and know where the bags were?) :cool: :2funny:
 
I bought air tags after DH’s luggage was delayed for two weeks. Fortunately, we haven’t had a luggage issue since then.
 
I flew a lot during my 45 year career. Always checked my bag. In 45 years and hundreds of flights, the airlines lost my luggage twice. Both times it was delivered to my hotel by the next morning. In my experience, lost luggage isn’t worth much prevention.
 
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