[goalie11]

It seems when you get to a certain age you start to do really stupid things you wouldn’t have done in the past and yesterday I did fell firmly into that camp.

I’m hoping our BA professionals can help as trying to get to the right people is proving really difficult, being passed from department to department or getting lost in a sea of options.

Yesterday I took a flight from Gatwick to Verona on BA and stupidly left a fairly new ipad pro in the seat pocket.

What is the process for finding such items, does it get submitted locally or, with a quick turnaround, does it get taken back to Gatwick. If so, what is the best means of contact.

Any advice will be appreciated.

[Inthesandpit]

From my experience working at LGW and LHR as a redcap (dispatcher) many years ago, if the cleaners have found it and it has not been noticed then it may have been spirited away never to be seen. If someone is playing good and honest then I assume it would have been handed to the turn around agent and if they follow the rules should have been handed into the handling agents or airport lost property.
Personally I would not hold out much hope, but I would like to think there are honest people out there.

[capetonianm]

In my understanding it’s as above, it should end up at the the lost property of the airport of turnaround. I know two people who left similar items on EZY and BA flights and they both got them back. You have to pay a small charge for the service, more of course if they have to send it on to you.

In general, more people are honest than dishonest. Good luck.

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mkcol74

[TiredOldHack2]

I once left a camera in the seat pocket in front of me, on a BA flight. I notified BA as soon as I got home, citing my seat number, but they replied that no camera had been found.

Someone had got there first and nicked it, obviously. Cleaning staff?

[stevescoots]

i left 600 smokes on a QR flight landing at CAN once, I did not even get to immigration before i realised and went back, cleaners were on board…no smokes…

[handbag]

I left BA 6 months ago. I was Longhaul Crew at LHR. This might not be much help to you but may be useful for others.

The policy there was that Crew check the aircraft after pax have left and before disembarking for any items left behind. Any item found the individual Crew member took it in T5, to the desks at the bottom of the escalator and fill out a form. It is then sent from there to Lost Property. Can’t remember the cost, but Lost property (not part of BA) charge you for holding the items, which you pay before collection. It is quite a regular thing for Crew to drop things at the desk and fill out a form.

If Crew saw in their search, they would have a similar procedure at LGW. Hope you find your item.

[AircraftLover]

In my understanding, anything left inside an Aircraft is the specific airline responsibility, and any item left, from the airport entrance to the aircraft door, is the airport responsibility.

The normal procedure will be to notify the Airline, as soon as possible, at the Airline Lost and Found department. You can do it at your arrival airport, or at your final destination airport, back home.

I hope that will help you.

In my own experience, every lost item have been found.

[Filbyemt]

I have seen crew members & cleaners hand over to dispatchers items left on planes, when we sit up front there is possibly 100’s of fellow passengers going past the empty seats (with the book or iPod or iPad sticking up out of the seat pocket) while exiting the plane. My partner & I have lost a few items over the years, but also had 1 item returned (thanks to a cleaner).

[Nogbad01]

my wife left her iPad in the seat pocket on a BA flight to JFK.

Before we had reached our accommodation we had received a call from BA who arranged (at our cost) a taxi to bring it to her.

Couldn’t ask for more.

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mkcol74

[handbag]

[quote quote=908528]I have seen crew members & cleaners hand over to dispatchers items left on planes, when we sit up front there is possibly 100’s of fellow passengers going past the empty seats (with the book or iPod or iPad sticking up out of the seat pocket) while exiting the plane. My partner & I have lost a few items over the years, but also had 1 item returned (thanks to a cleaner).[/quote]
The ruling changed a few years ago for BA into LHR. Previously Crew did give found items to dispatchers, but when policy changed they would no longer accept items and Crew have to follow procedure above. Down route items are given to dispatchers. I have personally taken many items and filled in the forms.

[LuganoPirate]

I once left a Samsung Tablet in the seat pocket of an SAA flight from George to JNB. It was only when I reached the Intercontinental opposite the terminal I realised what I’d done. A quick dash back to the airport and the SAA desk for lost baggage, a few phone call from them and a 20 minute wait and it was back with me. I was impressed and doubly so as it had no lock screen in place. All my devices now have the lock screen enabled!

Talking of forgetfulness, this last trip I was not allowed by George security to take my small Swiss Army pocket knife on board. A quick dash back to check-in where my just cling film wrapped bag was still standing. I tucked the knife under the plastic near the handle not expecting to see it again, but lo and behold, at JNB it was still there. result.

Next day, I had my cases wrapped again and yes, you guessed it, forgot about the penknife just as they finished the wrap. I did the same thing again and it arrived in JFK via Zurich. I did remember to pack it for the return journey to Zurich thankfully!!!

[goalie11]

Thanks everyone for your advice, very helpful.

I left Verona this morning but before going through to departures I was directed to the lost property office at arrivals to check. I literally got there 5 minutes after they closed for the morning. However, there was an email address left so I noted it.

I went through to departures and then onto the aircraft where I asked the crew what would happen. They said that it would depend on the crew as to whether they would take it back to Gatwick or not.

At Gatwick I contacted the lost property office only to be told it wasn’t there.

I was resigned to writing it off when I got a response to the email I wrote on board to Verona informing me they had it there.

Trying to get contact with the lost property by telephone in Verona to Verona was a nightmare, none of the numbers connected, however all is well and my faith restored, so I can put up with minor problems in getting it despatched back to the UK.

Although it doesn’t seem set in stone, as some above stated, it seems it is the arrival airport that should take ownership.

Thanks again.

[IanFromHKG]

Fabulous result!! My own experience is that small and valuable items have “not been found”. There was one exception, which was particularly embarrassing. As we stood up to disembark I rather pointedly asked the Memsahib if she had everything, and when she replied in the affirmative I smirked, picked her iPad out of the seat pocket and handed it to her. My smugness didn’t last long, however. While we were on the bus to the terminal building I realised I had left behind the small amenity bag I normally carry with me which contained my wallet, my phone, my passport and everything else small and valuable. Given the circumstances, have to say that the Memsahib was astonishingly restrained when I confessed!! And fortunately I was reunited with my belongings without too long a wait.

iPods, iPads and iPhones belonging to various members of the family, however, have all disappeared without trace notwithstanding filing of the appropriate lost property forms promptly, activation of “Find my iPhone” etc., although undoubtedly part of the issue here is that while on board they are switched off or have Airplane Mode enabled which stops Find my iPhone working. Having said that (another confession coming up) I did once leave my iPhone in a taxi in Hong Kong and was able to get it back using that function (by making it ring constantly and putting message on the lock screen asking the taxi driver to contact me and offering a reward). That approach does, however, rather rely on the device having its own functioning cellular connection, or being within range of WiFi to which it will connect automatically.

Anyway, glad to hear you were reunited with your property. In effect, you just got an extra, and early, Christmas present of a fully set-up iPad!!

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=911146]My own experience is that small and valuable items have “not been found”. [/quote]

Years ago we were staying in a cheap hotel in New York. After breakfast in the lobby cafe I went back to the room, mistakenly leaving the following on the table: a small bag containing both our passports, a huge pile of US dollars in cash (all of our money), our air tickets (we still used cardboard tickets in those days), and all my credit cards. Well over an hour later, still in the room, I realized with shock/ horror what I’d done and rushed back to the cafe. It was gone…… And then I noticed a young woman smiling and waving at me from the behind the reception desk and calling “Don’t worry, I’ve got it” out to me. Nothing had gone from the bag…. I’m eternally grateful to whoever handed it in.

[ASK1945]

I have left items behind 3 times in my life – and had them back twice:

1. In security at Singapore airport, returning to LHR about 10 years ago. I realised this when we arrived at LHR and thought that they had gone for ever. 10 days later, a ring on our doorbell and opened to find a courier there with the keys. They had traced me via the Sentinel security tag attached to the key ring.

2. In 2017, I left my Kindle in the Business lounge at Larnaca: never got it back.

3. On Sunday (4 days ago), placed my wallet as usual in my hand luggage, to go through security at PHL Terminal A (a BA flight to LHR). When I got to the Lounge I realised that I didn’t have my wallet, so returned immediately to security to ask if it had been found. Met a security official on his way to the lounge with my wallet – they had guessed that I was in Business on a BA/AA flight and that I may be in the lounge, so were returning it there. Great service. But, I still don’t understand how it fell out of a closed bag going through the security apparatus. And, nothing was missing, as far as I can see.

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