Apple gives travelers another reason to pack a AirTag in their checked baggage.

The tech giant announcement On Monday, it will enable a new feature, called Share Item Location, for AirTags and other accessories connected to the Find My network. This feature will allow travelers to share the location of an object with a third party, including airlines.

You will be able to share a link to a missing AirTag by clicking on the Find My app on your Apple device. Recipients of the link will be able to see “a website that shows the item’s location on an interactive map.” The website will automatically update when a new location is available and will display a timestamp of the most recent update,” Apple explains.

The travel use case is quite compelling. If you pack an AirTag in your checked baggageYou will be able to temporarily share the location of your mishandled or delayed baggage with an airline to speed up the baggage search process.

With additional location information, it should make it easier for airlines to trace missing bags to their respective owners.

Share Item Location is currently being tested on Apple devices running the iOS 18.2 public beta. In the coming weeks, this updated software will be available for free to all users with iPhone XS and later.

To protect your privacy, item location sharing will be disabled once you find your missing item or after seven days have passed, whichever comes first. You can also turn off Share Item Location from the Find My app at any time. Note that location information is end-to-end encrypted, meaning Apple and Find My accessory makers cannot access a device’s location or information.

Apple is initially partnering directly with 15 airlines for this integration, the full list of which can be found below. Apple says access to each Find My link will be limited to “a small number of people, and recipients will need to authenticate to view the link through an Apple account or partner email address” – another measure aimed at strengthen confidentiality.

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air New Zealand
• Austrian airlines
• British Airways
• Brussels Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Eurowings
• Iberia
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Qantas
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss international airlines
• Turkish airlines
• United
• Virgin Atlantic
• Vueling

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More airlines will be added over time, according to Apple.

“The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users while traveling, providing invaluable location information when luggage has been misplaced or mishandled. With Share Item Location, we’re excited to offer users a new way to easily share this information. information directly with third parties like airlines, while protecting their privacy,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said in a statement.

To further strengthen support for this new feature, Apple is in talks with airline baggage tracking technology provider SITA to integrate support for Share Item Location into WorldTracer (the software solution used by over 500 airlines in more than 2,800 airports around the world to help find missing and mishandled bags.

“We know that many of our customers already travel with AirTag in their checked bags, and this feature will soon make it easier for them to share location information with us securely, helping our customer service agents work more efficiently and providing to our customers an extra charge. peace of mind. We plan to accept Find My Item locations at select airports initially, with the goal of introducing the service systemwide in early 2025,” David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said in a press release.

AirTags retail for about $19 each or approximately $70 for a four-pack. They make a great holiday gift and are a must-have for travelers. But better yet, they go on sale — and right now, they’re at the lowest prices we’ve seen in a long time.

To learn more about Apple AirTags, be sure to check out TPG’s guide to using them.

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