Let's say you're hosting a dinner party, and someone taps you on the shoulder and says she's found a tablet computer at her table. Do you
a. hold on to it for safekeeping for when the owner comes looking?
b. make an announcement and ask if anyone at the party is missing a tablet?
c. immediately hand the tablet to some other partygoer who happens to overhear the conversation, even though they're sitting at some other table?
Evidently, the answer on certain United flights would be "c."
I was advised to submit a lost property report, but I'm really not expecting to get the tablet back, and can't help but feel just the tiniest bit of consternation. I didn't forget something on board. It wasn't mishandled in transit. A $700 piece of electronics was taken by a crew member and handed to someone else as if it were a discarded newspaper. What kind of response could I expect from customer service?
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I'll leave out the ridiculous misconnect at ORD on Christmas Eve, the subsequent rescheduling marathon, the fact that my checked bag still hasn't arrived. It was a stressful night for all— I saw Canadians lose their temper for the first time ever— but these things happen; I roll with the punches. They found me a morning flight, and it was almost a happy ending— they even booked me into an exit row. It does add a tinge of "I'm not even supposed to be here today"-ism to events, however.
I was in seat 21F on the 737-700. There is no 20F, so I placed my snacks, headphones, and tablet into the seat back of 19F. As it happened, I was engrossed in a conversation with 21E, and never removed them throughout the flight. When we landed, the snacks were there, the headphones were there— but the tablet was gone.
The woman in 20E explained that she had found it when they were collecting the complimentary headphones at the end of the flight. Thinking it was lost, she had handed it to a flight attendant. So as soon as I could, I made my way up to the purser, who searched through the various closets and cabinets at the front of the plane to no avail. So then she called back to the other flight attendant, who said she had handed it almost immediately to another passenger.
She didn't ask people in the area if anyone had misplaced an item (I would not have expected a PA announcement, but just asking on a mid-morning flight is surely reasonable). She didn't ask that passenger to demonstrate ownership. She didn't even ask why that passenger would have stashed it behind 19F when they were sitting in some other place. I wasn't the only one mystified. The other FAs and ground staff on that by now-empty plane stood silent for a good 5-10 dumbfounded seconds after she explained this. She did not remember anything about the passenger— a he or she, what they looked like, what seat number, despite the earnest inquiries of the handler.
To their credit, the ground staff was very helpful, and the passengers from 20E and 20D did wait around to see if they could help, but they remembered nothing after handing the tablet to the FA. The handler escorted me to the baggage office on the very, very, very, very slim chance someone had mistaken my Asus for theirs, and a sheriff's deputy there also checked with the airport lost and found, to no avail.
I guess my biggest lesson learned is not to let anything out of my sight for even a second, even on an enclosed aluminum tube hurtling through the air. And that someone will be brazen enough to claim another's $700 piece of property from a few feet away. On Christmas morning. But surely, is it too much to ask that the FA apply some basic sense as well, and that United would be in some way responsible for a demonstrated lack thereof?
Your analogy isn't exact and should reflect that the dishonesty is in the receiving party, not United, and that the finding party is more like a waiter at the table, in a position of service to both you and the dishonest party.
I don't ever, ever use seat back pocket for storage. Using it in a seat removed from yours is extremely in advisable.
Programs: CO Platinum or Gold since the dark days, now MM
Posts: 194
Your analogy at a Xmas party was confusing.
If I understand the real story correctly, a passanger found the laptop in the seatback 2 rows up from you and handed it to a FA who gave it to another passanger. My first impression is that the passanger should have asked around her immedate neighbours before handing it to the FA. My second impression is that the FA kept the tablet. You just do not hand it to another passanger unless he/she is seated right there and then suffer total amnesia.
I'm waiting for the "So, I'm having a great chat with my seatmate yesterday, and the Flight Attendant has my tablet computer! So I say "Hey,that's mine." Which was all well and good until I got home and realized I didn't unpack my tablet... and now I have two. Oops!" version of this story.
(To the OP: Not quite been there, but close enough. And it sucks... You have my heartfelt sympathies.)
Let's say you're hosting a dinner party, and someone taps you on the shoulder and says she's found a tablet computer at her table. Do you
a. hold on to it for safekeeping for when the owner comes looking?
b. make an announcement and ask if anyone at the party is missing a tablet?
c. immediately hand the tablet to some other partygoer who happens to overhear the conversation, even though they're sitting at some other table?
Evidently, the answer on certain United flights would be "c."
I was advised to submit a lost property report, but I'm really not expecting to get the tablet back, and can't help but feel just the tiniest bit of consternation. I didn't forget something on board. It wasn't mishandled in transit. A $700 piece of electronics was taken by a crew member and handed to someone else as if it were a discarded newspaper. What kind of response could I expect from customer service?
-----
I'll leave out the ridiculous misconnect at ORD on Christmas Eve, the subsequent rescheduling marathon, the fact that my checked bag still hasn't arrived. It was a stressful night for all— I saw Canadians lose their temper for the first time ever— but these things happen; I roll with the punches. They found me a morning flight, and it was almost a happy ending— they even booked me into an exit row. It does add a tinge of "I'm not even supposed to be here today"-ism to events, however.
I was in seat 21F on the 737-700. There is no 20F, so I placed my snacks, headphones, and tablet into the seat back of 19F. As it happened, I was engrossed in a conversation with 21E, and never removed them throughout the flight. When we landed, the snacks were there, the headphones were there— but the tablet was gone.
The woman in 20E explained that she had found it when they were collecting the complimentary headphones at the end of the flight. Thinking it was lost, she had handed it to a flight attendant. So as soon as I could, I made my way up to the purser, who searched through the various closets and cabinets at the front of the plane to no avail. So then she called back to the other flight attendant, who said she had handed it almost immediately to another passenger.
She didn't ask people in the area if anyone had misplaced an item (I would not have expected a PA announcement, but just asking on a mid-morning flight is surely reasonable). She didn't ask that passenger to demonstrate ownership. She didn't even ask why that passenger would have stashed it behind 19F when they were sitting in some other place. I wasn't the only one mystified. The other FAs and ground staff on that by now-empty plane stood silent for a good 5-10 dumbfounded seconds after she explained this. She did not remember anything about the passenger— a he or she, what they looked like, what seat number, despite the earnest inquiries of the handler.
To their credit, the ground staff was very helpful, and the passengers from 20E and 20D did wait around to see if they could help, but they remembered nothing after handing the tablet to the FA. The handler escorted me to the baggage office on the very, very, very, very slim chance someone had mistaken my Asus for theirs, and a sheriff's deputy there also checked with the airport lost and found, to no avail.
I guess my biggest lesson learned is not to let anything out of my sight for even a second, even on an enclosed aluminum tube hurtling through the air. And that someone will be brazen enough to claim another's $700 piece of property from a few feet away. On Christmas morning. But surely, is it too much to ask that the FA apply some basic sense as well, and that United would be in some way responsible for a demonstrated lack thereof?
Do you have the offending FA's name? Don't file a lost property report-- file a police report.
Everybody has a tablet these days and, in a case they all look similar. OP stuck this in a seatback pocket (not permitted) in a different row and is surprised that it was turned in to an FA (exactly what I would have done).
From there, we have no idea what happened. But, the most likely scenario is that somebody lied and said it was theirs and now has one or didn't like but mistakenly said it was theirs and now has two.
Sorry, but valuables stay with you or within easy reach at all times. When they don't, they have a habit of going away. Filing a report is not a bad idea. There's a chance that the pax who took it feels a pang of guilt and turns it back in.
All I can say is welcome to the real world. I'm still far too trusty myself; leaving things out n about at the club, putting things in the seat pocket.
Programs: CoUniHound Plat/1K, AA EXP 1MM, HH Dia, Marriott Plat. Hyatt Dia
Posts: 345
In a 737-700, there isn't a window seat in row 20. The under seat storage and seat back pocket for a row 21 window seat is actually 2 rows up. One might argue that using the seat back pocket for tablet storage may be unwise, but the pocket the OP used was certainly the correct one.
FYI, the seat back pocket would have been on the back of seat 12F or 14F, depending on the configuration of the 73G. In order to keep exit rows numbered 20 and 21 on all 73x planes, there are gaps in the row numbers.
Yeah, obviously the only malicious party here is the recipient, not the passengers in row 20 or the FA, who presumably acted in good faith, but I can't help but be miffed that it was so freely handed away.
Quote:
In a 737-700, there isn't a window seat in row 20. The under seat storage and seat back pocket for a row 21 window seat is actually 2 rows up. One might argue that using the seat back pocket for tablet storage may be unwise, but the pocket the OP used was certainly the correct one.
Yes, it isn't as if I'd stashed it in some random row. I don't even like to do that for my carryon.
Do you have one of the United credit cards? The Presidential Plus covers you up to $3,000 if your checked or carry-on baggage is lost or stolen. The others cover both (again, $3,000) if lost. (not sure what the distinction might be, but the others don't say stolen)
If it makes any consolation to the OP, I was in a similar situation on sCO plane on 12/16 at IAH. I de-boarded the plane and I completely forgot that I left my iPad in the seat back pocket.
I was in the terminal near my connecting gate when I heard the PA announcement asking me to return to the original gate as I might be missing an electronic item.
I went back to the gate and realized that was my iPad sitting on the counter (recognized because of the cover). It was a happy ending, and hope the OP gets a call from UA very soon.
It looks like the FA was tricked by another pax or this whole thing was a complete misunderstanding.
However the real problem is the other pax, who was either dishonest or has not yet detected that he has now 2 tablets.
I was raised very honest and that’s the same way we raised our kids. It’s a problem in our society that it’s okay or cool to steal, be dishonest, trick the system etc.
To the OP: You have my sympathies, this sucks. I really hope it turns up again.
I once left my wallet on a UA flight in F and detected it shortly after. I knew exactly where it was. I had to file all kind of reports and did many phone calls. The plane had left. 2 days later at 4 am my local airport called, the cleaning team had found it on that plane. No idea what happened during the 2 days, but everything was there. Fully cleared out my German chocolate reserves that day and made the guys at TPA happy.
I did that for many years and finally not wanting to tempt fate, have started to lock my carryon bag when it is in the club and I have to wander around.
Passports etc are always with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UAL4life
All I can say is welcome to the real world. I'm still far too trusty myself; leaving things out n about at the club, putting things in the seat pocket.
Placing relatively expensive personal property out of sight, where it doesn't belong, not paying attention, and then blaming someone else would have gotten any 3 of my kids grounded for 60 days, and a lump of coal for Christmas!
Why so much fault-finding with the OP? He used the seat pocket appropriate to his seat. I've never heard that tablets were verboten from seat pockets as are laptops. I've seen hundreds if not thousands of passengers do exactly the same thing. Assuming she was telling the truth, the UA FA was not malicious, but she was certainly clueless. Since the seat pocket "belonged" to seat 21F, the OP was the first and perhaps only passenger to have been asked about the found tablet.
