Apple’s new “Share Item Location” feature for AirTags promises a direct solution for Hawaii travelers dealing with lost or delayed luggage. Travelers, including us, can securely share an AirTag’s location for missing bags directly with United Airlines, improving the often frustrating baggage recovery process.
We plan to test this feature on upcoming United flights to Hawaii. But first, here’s what Hawaii travelers can expect from the AirTag update and how this feature could change how airlines handle misplaced baggage.
Why lost luggage is especially challenging for Hawaii travelers.
Losing a bag en route to Hawaii isn’t the same as losing one on a quick domestic flight. “It’s not just about waiting an extra day to pick up your suitcase,” wrote Jennifer in the comments. “On a long-awaited Hawaii vacation, losing a bag can ruin your whole trip.” With flights often involving multiple legs and the added distance to the islands, misplaced luggage can mean days without essentials, even if the airline quickly locates it.
Another reader, Mark, shared his own experience with a delayed bag: “When my luggage got left behind in LAX, I didn’t see it for three days. I felt like I knew where it was because of my AirTag, but the airline’s response was ‘It’s in our system now.’ It was frustrating.” This is a common experience and one reason frequent Hawaii travelers eagerly anticipate Apple’s new update.
How Apple’s new feature works.
The “Share Item Location” update allows travelers to create a secure link in the Find My app that can be shared directly with airlines like United. Once shared, airline representatives can view the bag’s AirTag location on an interactive map. The shared link is viewable by a limited number of airline employees, ensuring privacy, and it automatically disables once the owner retrieves the item or after seven days.
This streamlined approach solves a longstanding problem. Previously, even with the AirTag’s location visible, airline employees often couldn’t take action without internal processes.
Sarah, a reader, commented, “I once tracked my bag to a storage room at HNL. I showed the airline employee the AirTag location, but they couldn’t retrieve it right away. I felt helpless.”
The new update directly addresses this issue, potentially allowing the airline to expedite retrieval without administrative steps.
When to expect availability on United’s Hawaii flights.
United is currently the only U.S. airline participating, though that will likely change. United confirmed plans to roll out the feature across select airports later in 2024, with a full systemwide implementation expected by early 2025.
Initially, travelers on United’s popular Hawaii routes—such as those from San Francisco and Los Angeles—may be among the first to benefit. According to United’s Chief Customer Officer, David Kinzelman, the feature should improve customer service agents’ efficiency in locating and retrieving lost items and provide “added peace of mind” for customers already using AirTags in checked luggage.
This early rollout will help gauge the system’s effectiveness before it’s available on all United flights to Hawaii. Several travelers, including longtime Beat of Hawaii reader Lisa, shared their optimism. “It sounds amazing,” she said. But I’ll believe it when I see it working in real life.”
Testing the feature: our upcoming trial.
For our readers, we’ll be testing Apple’s AirTag feature on a United flight to Hawaii in early 2025, if not sooner, depending on availability. Editors will be flying on United next week, should it be available. We aim to track how easy it is to share the location, communicate with United’s customer service team, and monitor how quickly they respond to the shared location link. By documenting each step, we’ll share insights into whether this feature lives up to its potential.
What this means for future Hawaii travel.
On a broader scale, this feature aligns with Hawaii travelers’ need for reliability and efficiency, especially on multi-leg journeys. As Apple expands its airline partnerships, bag tracking could become a more integrated, stress-free part of travel to Hawaii.
We look forward to sharing our experiences and hearing your feedback.
Does this feature sound like a game-changer for Hawaii travel? Would you rely on it, or are you skeptical of how airlines will handle it? Let us know in the comments.
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How much does an Apple Air tag Cost $129 dollars. Just another device to throw in the system so airlines could dismiss your lost baggage claim. I would think the customer would have to purchase the air tag because of the individual tracking information associated with the air tag. Without an air tag I bet the airline say’s they aren’t responsible. Welcome to another unexpected charge.
I am glad you explained how you will test the Airtag connection. While I was reading the article I was thinking to myself, “how are they going to deliberately lose their luggage to test the system?” It’s obviously been a long day. I’ll be following this issue because I have used airtags for a long time and it’s comforting to see my checked luggage on the plane. I haven’t lost luggage yet-knock on wood- but if all the airlines use this system it bodes well for recovered luggage and I won’t worry about it as much in the future. Although, for international flights I’m still doing carry on!
I’m sorry but the only time this is going to really help is if the airline bag tag falls off the bag or some other passenger “grabs the wrong bag” (or steals it) off the carrosel on arrival. All major airlines scan every bag every time it moves. ie: loaded, unloaded, moved to secure storage, etc. It’s all on their app if you just load the app with your name and 6 digit itinerary code. And it’s real time. The issues specifically with Hawaii is the distance. Airlines with interline agreements also routinely expedite lost baggage on other airlines sometimes avoiding a 24 hr delay.
Passengers should always make their bag different looking. Put a bright colored strap around it or colored duct tape on all 6 sides.
I can’t help the reaction I had to this. If Apple tags are so effective, and airline system is not, it would occur to me that the Apple tag technology is superior and airlines could adapt to a type of tracking that would be similar. It couldn’t be the same thing because a tag is customer based and the other one is the airline’s base. I would not deny that there’s some cost of this, however, airlines thought outside the box and wrapped their head around it, maybe they could come to a good solution.