No matter how long or short your flight, it always seems that once the plane touches down, it’s every passenger for him- or herself when it comes to deplaning. In the rush to be one of the first to make it to baggage claim, your connecting gate or wherever your travels may take you, it’s easy to forget you left your favorite gadget or other personal item in the seat pocket.
But once you’ve gotten off the plane, are your left-behind belongings as good as gone? Or is there hope you’ll be reunited with something you forgot on a plane?
As it turns out, there is hope — you just have to act fast. If you remember you’ve left something behind on the plane while you’re still in the terminal, you’ll want to get back to your gate as soon as possible to see if the agents can help you. If you’re quick enough, the plane will still be there, and if the cleaners haven’t gone through the cabin yet, the agents may be able to retrieve it for you. Having your seat number handy will also help the agents locate your item.
If the plane has already been cleaned, there’s very little the gate agents can do for you. Instead of heading to the gate, you’ll want to go to your airline’s baggage claim office to see if your item was turned in after the plane was cleaned. If your item doesn’t turn up in the airline’s lost and found, ask to fill out a formal report for your missing belongings. Leaving your contact information is crucial, because if the item is discovered during the plane’s next flight, the airline will need to know how to reach you to reconnect you with your missing item.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot you can do beyond this to recover your item once you deboard the plane — but that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck if you don’t get good news from the airline regarding your missing belongings. Oftentimes, items that are accidentally left behind are portable electronics (such as phones, tablets or ebook readers), and these expensive gadgets may be covered by your credit card, if you used one to purchase them. Companies like American Express have policies to cover the cost of the missing item, as long as you have your original receipt. You may be able to replace your item without any additional cost to you, depending on your credit card company’s policy.
Have you ever forgotten something on a plane? Were you able to get it back? Let us know about your experience below!
(Featured image: Noel Zia Lee)
