If you aren’t using an AirTag to track your luggage when you travel, you’re seriously missing out. New data shows that Apple’s Find My system dramatically reduces the chance of an airline losing your luggage.
You really should travel with an AirTag
The stats were first shared in a press release last moth by SITA, an air transport communications and information technology company. Apple also shared the statistic in its own press release earlier this month, touting its ecosystem of services.
SITA explains that, in general, most bags are successfully returned to airline passengers.
A small percentage, however, are never recovered and are deemed “truly lost.” For bags with an AirTag, however, the number of “truly lost” bags decreases by 90%.
The data is based on SITA’s WorldTracer system, which is an automated baggage tracking platform used by all of the major airlines.
Additionally, SITA says that airlines using this AirTag feature have seen a 26% reduction in recovery time of delayed bags.
These stats show that you really should have an AirTag attached to or hidden inside your luggage when traveling.
How the feature works
Apple first launched this capability with iOS 18.2 in December 2024. The feature lets you generate a link in the Find My app for a lost AirTag, which can then be shared with other people. Using the link, the other person (or the airline) can see a website that shows the location of the AirTag on an interactive map.
Apple has worked with airlines to implement systems to accept those Find My location links. The airlines can then use the information to help locate lost, delayed, or mishandled bags.
The shared location is immediately disabled as soon as the AirTag user is reunited with their luggage.
Here are some of the airlines that support Apple’s Share Item Location feature for AirTags:
- United
- Delta
- British Airways
- Lufthansa
- American Airlines
- Air Canada
- Air New Zealand
- Turkish Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Austrian Airlines
- Brussels Airlines
- Swiss
- Eurowings
- Iberia Airlines
Additionally, the feature works with any third-party accessory that integrates with the Find My network. You don’t necessarily have to use an AirTag, if you’d rather opt for accessories from a company like Chipolo.
9to5Mac’s Take
In addition to locating lost luggage, I love that I can track my luggage as it makes its way to baggage claim thanks to AirTag. I can literally watch as it’s unloaded from the plane and maneuvers to baggage claim.
I can take my time going to baggage claim and stop for any errands I need to do, instead of rushing there to wait around aimlessly for 20 minutes
Have you used AirTags or other Find My accessories to locate a lost or delayed suitcase before? Let us know down in the comments.
Buy AirTags:
- AirTag (1-pack): $26.59 (Reg. $29)
- AirTag (4-pack): $64.98 (Reg. $99)
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