One in 125 suitcases that we check in at Spanish airports ends up being lost or, in the best case scenario, delayed or arriving damaged. Thus, up to a total of more than 35 million suitcases in 2023 alone. In fact, in our country we are ninth among the territories that lose the most suitcases each year. This is why, A solution is urgently needed, which Apple has already presented with iOS 18.2 and AirTags.
In this latest update for iPhone, AirTag sharing limits are expanded to allow sharing with more users when we travel and, above all, with the airlines themselves. And precisely The company that loses the most suitcases in USA has already assured that it will collaborate with the new features brought by Apple.
iOS 18.2 is the best thing that could happen to lost suitcases
The operation of AirTags is quite simple, even if it is not a GPS as you might think. This accessory communicates invisibly and privately with other Apple devices that are nearby (whether or not they have the same owner) and sends their location to servers. So we can't see the position in real time, although we can see it over the last few minutes. There will be as much location history as there are times the AirTag intersects with Apple devices.
Apple's “Search” app, also available via the web, lets you see it. Since their launch, they can be shared with other members of the household so that everyone can see their location. What is added in iOS 18.2 is the possibility of sharing it with other peoplewhether or not they are configured in the same Apple “family”. And that includes airlines.
Apple's vice president of marketing, Greg Joswiak, commented on it in recent hours on X. This new feature will be ideal for finding lost luggage. We don't know to what extent this will reduce this million dollars of lost suitcases per year, but we feel that it is not trivial given the success stories of locating AirTag suitcases. Even when it comes to an organized baggage theft gang.
It must be said in any case that the use of suitcase tracking devices is not new. Since the pandemic, travelers are increasingly turning to Bluetooth accessories from all brands to know the location of their luggage.
Iberia has already committed to using AirTags
The Spanish Iberian Peninsula is the one that carries the most travelers each year and, although these data are not necessarily linked, it happens that it is also the one that loses the most luggage in our country. It is therefore excellent news to know that it will be one of the first to accept the use of the AirTag by travelers.
The idea is that they share the data with the airline to share their suitcases and both parties know their location. And all this privately without affecting other user data.
Another good news is that besides Iberia, other companies have also committed to taking advantage of this function. Some stand out like British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines.
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