United Airlines travelers with lost luggage have a new tool to track their bags. If the lost bag has an Apple AirTag in it, that information can now be passed directly to United, the airline announced Thursday. The new feature, called Share Item Location, allows travelers with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event it’s misplaced. The feature is now available with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2. “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. Travelers on United whose bags do not arrive at their destination can file a delayed baggage report with United and share the link to the item’s location either through the United app or via text message. After the report has been submitted, customer service agents will be able to locate the item on an interactive map alongside a timestamp of a recent update. The shared location will be disabled after a customer has the bag, and customers can also stop sharing the location of the item at any time on their own. The location link will also automatically expire after seven days. Using AirTags or other tracking devices on luggage is increasingly popular among frequent travelers, with a significant boom following the 2022 Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown, which displaced thousands of travelers over Christmas and into 2023, alongside much of their belongings.<br/>
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Air Canada plans to offer free Wi-Fi to Aeroplan members aboard its flights starting next year, building on a partnership with telecom giant Bell that already gives passengers free text messaging capabilities. The airline said Thursday that the Bell-sponsored internet service will be available on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft for North American and Central American flights beginning in May 2025, followed by long-haul international routes in 2026. It said passengers can expect "streaming-quality" service on Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and most Air Canada Express aircraft. Mark Nasr, Air Canada's executive vice-president of marketing and digital, and president of Aeroplan, said free Wi-Fi is something that customers have been increasingly asking for. "We think it's becoming a core expectation of customers whether they're travelling for business or for leisure," Nasr said in an interview. "We said, 'Let's get the installations done first. Let's make sure that when we announce this, it's available at a critical mass.'" Air Canada currently offers a range of Wi-Fi packages on select flights for a fee, starting at $6.50 for a prepaid one-hour pass. A $21 one-way pass allows passengers to browse the internet for the duration of their flight, while a monthly plan costs $65.95. It says all three options offer savings over prices paid when purchasing in-flight. Non-Aeroplan members will still be able to pay for Wi-Fi packages, Nasr said.<br/>
LOT Polish Airlines is expanding its network with new direct flights between Warsaw and Keflavik, Iceland, beginning April 12, 2025. This new service will operate year-round, with four weekly flights during the summer and three per week in the winter. Using modern Boeing 737 aircraft, the airline will offer both Business and Economy classes, ensuring a comfortable travel experience. The flights will also benefit from LOT’s Star Alliance membership for easier global connections.<br/>
A Japan Airlines plane and an All Nippon Airways plane both had toilet-drainage problems that caused them to return to their departure airports on Dec 10. Both planes are Boeing 787-9s, but they were said to have experienced no common glitches. JAL Flight 773 was carrying 142 passengers and crew, and departed Narita Airport on Dec 10 bound for Melbourne. Its toilet malfunction occurred at around 6.35pm when it was flying about 190km south-southeast of Narita, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry. The aircraft turned around and landed back at Narita at 9.08pm. Flight 773 later departed on a different aircraft. ANA Flight 208 from Milan to Haneda Airport likewise experienced a toilet problem above Turkey at around 9.20pm on Dec 10, causing it to turn back and land in Milan at 1.48am on Dec 11. The airplane was carrying 178 passengers and crew. ANA ultimately cancelled the flight.<br/>
Once hailed as the planet’s greatest retailer, Greg Foran could now make a reasonable claim to be the hardest working man in aviation. It’s an unlikely switchup for an executive who led a turnaround of Walmart Inc.’s turgid US store network before the pandemic. Foran’s microscopic attention to detail — from bringing back toilet-seat covers for germophobic staff to picking out limp lettuces — was part of a famed leadership style that led Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to term him the best retailer in the world. Now gray and 63, and thousands of miles from a Walmart store, Foran is deep in the weeds again at the helm of Air New Zealand Ltd. Even as CEO, Foran reckons he’s personally checked in 20,000 passengers since joining the carrier in 2020. But his extreme work ethic is no match for the unyielding realities of grounded jets and delayed plane deliveries. Air New Zealand has instead become a sorry case study of how broken supply lines are dogging aviation long after the pandemic. Profit has cratered again and the stock is languishing 70% below 2020 highs. Air New Zealand has it tougher than its peers partly due to its geographic location. With a population of around 5.2m, New Zealand’s domestic market is relatively small while its isolation means the majority of the carrier’s overseas routes are ultra-long haul, making jet fuel a significant expense. To neighboring Australia, its most-popular international destination, Qantas Airways Ltd. and its low-cost arm Jetstar, along with Virgin Australia provide stiff competition.<br/>