American Airlines now supports the iPhone feature that makes it easier to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage at airports, according to View from the Wing.
iOS 18.2 added a new feature to the Find My app that allows you to temporarily share the location of an AirTag-equipped item with others, including employees at participating airlines. This way, if you have put AirTags inside your bags, the airline can better help you find them in the event they are lost or delayed at the airport.
American Airlines rolled out support for the feature this week, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed. Other airlines that already offered the feature include Delta, United, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and more.
Here is what an American Airlines spokesperson told View from the Wing:
We've introduced the ability for customers to easily and securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory directly with the airline.
Customers can generate a link through Apple's Share Item feature available on iOS 18.2 or later and share it with American in the rare case when a bag is delayed for any trips with a segment from or to a U.S. airport. Customers just need to scan the QR code at the baggage office to start their claim and provide their information.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac users running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later can generate a "Share Item Location" link in the Find My app. Anyone they share the link with can then view a web page with a location of the item on a map. The page will automatically update with the item's latest known location.
Apple said it worked directly with airlines to put systems in place to "privately and securely" accept the "Share Item Location" links. Access to each link is "limited to a small number of people," and airport employees are required to "authenticate" to view the link by signing into their Apple Account or partner email address.
The item's location stops being shared "as soon as a user is reunited with their item," or automatically expires after seven days.
iOS 18.2 was released in December, and Apple said that additional airlines will implement this feature over the coming months.
