American Airlines Adds AirTag for Luggage Tracking

American Airlines has joined 18 other carriers to adopt Apple AirTag technology, allowing passengers to track their lost luggage by sharing the AirTag's location with the airline. This feature, available for trips ending in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, aims to decrease the time it takes for customers to be reunited with their bags. Despite initial bans over safety concerns related to AirTag batteries, the technology has proven beneficial in reducing mishandled luggage issues, which affect less than 1% of bags. With iOS 18.2, Apple introduced the ability for users to share AirTag locations with third parties, including airlines, through the Share Item feature. American Airlines, alongside rivals like Delta and United, has integrated this functionality to improve baggage tracking, which is particularly valuable as mishandling rates for these airlines were among the highest in recent reports.