Yes, you can now share your tracker's live location directly with most major airlines, not just watch it yourself. Both Apple's Find My network and Google's Find Hub network (formerly Find My Device) let you generate a temporary, encrypted location link straight from your phone and hand it to the airline's baggage desk — over 50 carriers on Apple's side and a fast-growing list on Google's now accept these links as part of their official tracing process. If your bag doesn't show up on the carousel this half-term, this is the fastest way to turn "my bag is missing" into "here's exactly where it is."
Here's exactly how to do it, which airlines currently support it, and what to do at the desk if your bag still doesn't turn up.
How do I share my tracker's location with an airline?
The steps are nearly identical whether you're on iPhone or Android — you're generating a secure, time-limited web link that the airline's baggage staff can open without needing your phone, your account, or an app of their own.
On iPhone (Apple Find My):
- Open the Find My app and go to Items.
- Tap the tracker that's in your missing bag.
- Scroll down and tap Share Item Location.
- Follow the prompts to generate the link, then copy or send it to the airline through their baggage-claim app, website, or directly to staff at the desk.
On Android (Google Find Hub):
- Open the Find Hub app and select the item in your missing bag.
- Tap Share item location to generate a secure URL.
- Paste that link into the airline's app, website, or give it to baggage staff.
On both platforms, the link updates automatically as the bag moves, expires after seven days, and switches off the moment your phone detects you've been reunited with the bag — so nobody can see its location a moment longer than needed.
Which airlines accept a shared tracker location?
Apple Find My — currently accepted by more than 50 airlines, including:
- UK & Ireland: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus
- Europe: Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, KLM, Iberia, Vueling, Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
- North America: Delta, United, American Airlines, JetBlue, Air Canada, WestJet, Breeze Airways, Porter Airlines, Flair Airlines
- Rest of world: Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand, China Airlines
Google Find Hub — a newer, fast-growing list, including the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS), Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Air India, Saudia, AJet, and China Airlines, with Qantas confirmed as joining soon. Both networks work through the same industry baggage-tracing backbone, SITA WorldTracer, which is why the list keeps growing on both sides at once.
This is exactly why a tracker that works with both networks — like Roam — matters for real travel: you're not betting on which app your airline happens to support, and it doesn't matter which phone you're carrying either.
My bag isn't on the airline's list — is a tracker still worth it?
Yes. Even where an airline doesn't yet formally accept a share-location link, you can still show a member of staff the tracker's location on your own phone, screenshot it, or describe it (terminal, carousel, or airport) when filing your report — it's still far more specific than "I don't know where it is." And the airline list is growing month by month, so check again if it's been a while since you last flew with a particular carrier.
What should I do the moment my bag doesn't arrive?
- Don't leave the airport first. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the baggage desk before you go — this starts the airline's official trace while your bag's last scan is still fresh in the system, and you'll need this reference number for any later claim.
- Hand over the tracker link at the same time. Generate your Share Item Location link and add it to the PIR, or show it to staff directly, so it becomes part of the airline's own case file rather than something only you can see.
- Ask for a written reference and delivery estimate. Get the PIR number in writing (paper or email) before you leave the desk.
- Keep receipts for anything essential you buy while waiting. Toiletries, a change of clothes — these are claimable under the Montreal Convention if your bag is delayed, but only with receipts.
What are my rights if the airline loses my bag?
You're entitled to compensation for proven financial loss under the Montreal Convention, up to a ceiling of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger (roughly £1,600–1,650) — though it's reimbursement against receipts, not a fixed payout. Reporting deadlines are strict and can't be extended: 7 days to report damage, 21 days to report a bag delayed or lost. A bag isn't officially classified as permanently lost until it's been missing for 21 days — before that, it's still being actively traced. We cover the full data on mishandling rates, recovery odds, and claims in our luggage stats deep-dive.
The bottom line
Half-term travel means more bags moving through more connections at once — exactly the conditions that cause most mishandling. A tracker that works with whichever network your airline supports turns a stressful, vague situation into a specific one: instead of waiting and hoping, you can tell the desk exactly where your bag is and let them go get it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an AirTag specifically, or does any tracker work? Any tracker connected to Apple's Find My network or Google's Find Hub network can generate a Share Item Location link — it isn't limited to Apple's own AirTag. Roam tags work with both networks.
How long does the shared location link last? Up to seven days, and it switches off automatically as soon as your phone detects you've been reunited with the item, or whenever you turn it off yourself.
Will sharing my tracker's location let the airline see my other movements? No. Only the one tracker's location is shared, for a limited time, and access is restricted to whoever you send the link to.
What if my airline doesn't support share-location links yet? You can still use your tracker's location yourself — to inform your report, confirm the bag made a connection, or push back if you're told it "isn't in the system."
Fly half-term with a plan: see the tracker product page →
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