Who doesn’t hate losing baggage when travelling? The chances of it happening are low but still exist. Apple introduced the new Find My option to share a lost item’s location on iOS/ iPadOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2. Many airlines in the USA/Canada and Europe implemented it within a few months, streamlining one anxiety-induced travel pain. Now you can add one airline from the Middle East to the list – none other than Saudia Airlines.
The national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia recently became the first airline in the MENA region to implement it. All you need is an Apple AirTag or a Find My network accessory inside your checked baggage. Then you can share its location privately and securely to locate lost or delayed bags.
Tracking and Sharing
Using the Find My app on your iPhone/iPad/macOS, you can easily generate a secure Share Item Location link. This link can then be submitted via Saudia Airline’s dedicated digital portal. A little breakdown of using the Find My feature for baggage tracking
- Shared links expire after 7 days and you can see how many people have viewed a link.
- Shared links stop working in three scenarios: an item is returned to you, the link sharing date expires (valid for 7 days), or you opt to stop sharing the location of an item.
- Location is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous. Apple and accessory manufacturers cannot view an item’s location or information.
- Links can be opened on a non-Apple device using a web browser.
For some geeky tech knowledge, Share Item Location is built on the Apple Find My network. It’s a crowdsourced network of over one billion Apple devices, using Bluetooth wireless technology. The purpose is to detect missing devices or items nearby, reporting their approximate location back to the owner.
Travel Convenience for Saudia passengers
The move is expected to improve baggage recovery times and reduce stress for travelers. If your Apple device is running the latest version of iOS/iPadOS/macOS, you already have access to it. This will be useful when travelling durign peak seasons via Saudia’s busy hubs.
As for the other major Middle East airlines (Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad) supporting it, time will tell. Saudia Airlines has the first mover advantage in the entire region. Maybe the new airline coming out of Riyadh (*ahem* Riyadh Air) may launch with support for it on Day 1.
ICYMI, Apple has already launched the online store in the country should you want to buy AirTags from them.
Image Credit: Saudia Newsroom
Disclosure: I used to work on the social media team at Qatar Airways for 11+ years.
