Air New Zealand enables AirTag location sharing to improve baggage recovery – just in time for holiday travel

From today, travellers who place an AirTag or other Find My network accessory in their bag can use the Find My app to generate and share a live location link with Air New Zealand's customer service team if their luggage is delayed or mishandled, enabling both the customer and the airline to track the bag via the 'Find My' app.

This new feature offers an additional layer of reassurance. By sharing a location link, Air New Zealand's team will be able to see not only where the bag was last scanned at the airport but also its recent location, thanks to the Find My capability.

Sharing the location of an item is quick and easy. Users can generate a location link directly from the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. For Air New Zealand passengers, a new option to "Add AirTag location to existing report" is available within the "Delayed or Damaged Bags" section of the Air NZ app. Once submitted, this information is securely shared with the airline's Baggage Tracing team. The team can access a dedicated webpage featuring an interactive map that displays the AirTag's location. The map updates automatically whenever the AirTag's position changes and includes a timestamp of the most recent update.

Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Nikhil Ravishankar says the initiative builds on the airline's ongoing efforts to make travel as stress-free as possible for its customers.

"In September 2023, we launched our own baggage tracking feature, providing customers with updates on the whereabouts of their luggage throughout their journey. This was a significant step forward, and now Apple's Share Item Location feature takes it to the next level.

"For those travellers who use AirTags or other Find My network accessories, this new feature means that if their bag takes an unexpected detour, they can share a location link with our team. Combined with the data from our own systems, this gives us a comprehensive view of where the bag is.

"Launching this ahead of the holiday season is ideal. We're preparing to carry three million customers over the summer period, which means a lot of luggage on the move. This added visibility will give travellers greater peace of mind during their journey.

"If you're looking for a thoughtful Christmas present, an AirTag could be a perfect choice for any friends or whānau planning to travel. Better still, you can use your Airpoints to purchase one from the Airpoints Store."

Air New Zealand worked closely with Apple to ensure customer data is handled securely and that the airline's systems can safely accept Share Item Location links. 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.

The feature is now live, and customers can start sharing their luggage's live location with Air New Zealand's customer service teams at airports worldwide. 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.