Aer Lingus enables Apple’s Find My Share Item Location feature to enhance baggage recovery

Aer Lingus – a Partner of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG) and a member of International Airlines Group (also a BIWG Partner and a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub) – has enabled Apple’s Find My Share Item Location feature.

Customers can use the new Share Item Location feature to privately and securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory with Aer Lingus customer service to locate lost or delayed bags more quickly.

In order to share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory with the airline, customers can first generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This link can then be added to a delayed baggage report, which may assist Aer Lingus customer service in locating the baggage.

For customers’ privacy and security, location sharing will automatically end as soon as a customer is reunited with their bag, can be stopped by the customer at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.

Share Item Location is built on the Apple Find My network, a crowdsourced network of over one billion Apple devices that use Bluetooth wireless technology to detect missing devices or items nearby, and report their approximate location back to the owner. The entire process is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, so no one else, not even Apple or Find My Network accessory manufacturers, can view an item’s location or information.

“At Aer Lingus, we are dedicated to ensuring our customers enjoy seamless travel experiences,” said Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer, Aer Lingus. “Integrating Apple’s Share Item Location feature allows us to further enhance our baggage recovery processes, offering customers additional peace of mind as they fly. While over 99% of checked baggage arrives at its destination without any issue, this feature assists us in the rare instances where a bag is delayed. Share Item Location will assist us in locating the checked baggage item and returning it quickly.”

To experience the new Share Item Location feature, customers should verify that their Apple device is running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS 15.2 or later.