Apple has announced a big enhancement for its AirTag tracking devices—arrangements with 16 airlines to actually use the information the tags come up with when bags go astray.
The wireless tags that go into suitcases and generate location information for their owners have been a popular bit of advice on frequent flyer and travel sites for years, but all too often they have come with tales such as “I know where my suitcase is, but the airline says it can’t find it,” which often has meant the airline had no idea how to use the data from the AirTags.
Now, Apple says, it’s added a secure way to share the location with others, and has worked with over 15 airlines to accept that data from customers through their customer service plans.
So far, the airlines who have signed on are 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.
