United Airlines – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and a Partner of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group – has integrated Apple’s new Share Item Location feature for AirTag into its mobile app, a move that’s expected to drive a much-improved customer service experience for the fewer than 1% of customers whose bags arrive on a later flight.
Now available with iOS 18.2, Apple’s Share Item Location feature enables United customers everywhere who travel with an AirTag or Find My network accessory to privately, securely, and seamlessly share the accessory location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event that it is mishandled.
While more than 99% of customer bags flew with – or even beat – their owner to their destination so far this year, this new digital innovation is the latest example of United’s infrastructure, training and technology investments geared towards making travel easier and bag handling more seamless, especially when plans don’t go as expected.
“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, United Airlines. “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.”
United offers all customers the ability to track their bags directly in the United app, giving them peace of mind throughout the entire travel journey. Now, customers will be able to generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac for an AirTag or Find My network accessory, and share that with United to help locate a misplaced item more quickly and securely.
