How to Recover What You Left in Flight
In Scottsboro, Alabama, there is an Unclaimed Baggage Center store full of mink fur and iPads — items left on flights that were never claimed by their owners and are now up for sale. According to the New York Times , these items could be deliberately altered, forgotten, or simply … lost.
Many airlines, including United and Alaska, have a 30-day lost property policy, which means they will actively search for passengers’ lost belongings for a month. This week Reader’s Diges t gave some insight into the item loss process. If you left something on the plane, it’s important to contact the gate agent and file a Lost Item Report so you can reunite with your belongings – just act quickly and as informatively as possible.
Speak to the gate agent immediately
If you have just left your flight and find that you have left your carry-on baggage in the overhead hold, speak to the agent at the entrance immediately; they can most likely speak to the flight attendant or a member of the cleaning team still on the plane to pick up your bag.
According to Reader’s Digest , you must provide your boarding pass, seat number, description of your bag, and where you left it last. Due to security restrictions, you will not be able to re-enter the aircraft; However, if you have just arrived, chances are your bag will be collected.
Fill in the lost baggage form at the airline ticket office.
Let’s say you’ve logged off security or are on a connecting flight before realizing you’ve left your iPad in your seat back pocket. At the baggage claim point at your destination, you should ask the service personnel if your bag can be retrieved if the plane has not yet departed. If it is gone, you must submit a lost-wax item on the counter immediately, explaining that you left something on board and a description of the item, including its make, color and size.
If it is an electronic device, you should also include the serial number to distinguish it from other similar lost items. (You may be able to find the serial number for your device from your mobile phone vendor; one writer on One Mile at a Time got the serial number for his lost iPad by contacting Verizon.)
Several major airlines, including United , will also provide tracking information so you can check the status of your bag. Depending on the airline, if your bag has been found, they will arrange a courier or delivery service for you to reunite.
“I did the same thing recently, with a Macbook Air on an international flight to Los Angeles, and recovered it,” u / gc1 wrote on a Reddit thread . “The flight crew found him and I was even able to arrange for Taskrabbit to pick him up at the airport on my behalf.”
If you are planning to file a claim, here are the Airfarewatchdog’s recent lost property policy for several airlines:
Alaska Airlines: Submit your lost item report here . Allegiant Air: Complete the Lost Item Form by clicking here . The American Airlines: Lost & Found landing page can be viewed here . Delta Air Lines: Submit your Lost Item Report here . Frontier: Complete the Lost Item Report, and the FAQs can be viewed here . Hawaiian Airlines: Information on the Central Baggage Office can be found here . JetBlue: Find a Lost Item Report and FAQs here . Southwest Airlines: Find lost item information and frequently asked questions here . The Spirit Airlines: Lost & Found landing page can be viewed here . United Airlines: Instructions for resolving missing items can be found here .
Call the airline
If you have arrived home before realizing that your carry -on baggage is still on board, you should first call the baggage department at the arrival airport – chances are that your iPad may be among the lost and found.
If this search is unsuccessful, you should call the airline to file a lost item claim or submit a report online. (You can also tweet on the airline’s account, but they will most likely redirect you to their website or support phone number.)
While you are waiting, depending on the device, you can track it using applications such as Find My Phone, if enabled; After you have filed a claim, you can also contact the airline to update your report with any additional information you may find useful for your search.
What happens if your product is not found? Well, maybe someone somewhere in the world is now on your lost iPad reading this very article. As we mentioned, several airlines will actively search for your item for 30 days before finally recalling the dogs. Just remember to apply as soon as possible so that the chances of your item being restored are higher, and don’t give up hope for now.