Argh... Mrs. u2vox left her laptop under the seat on UA503 BOS-SFO on Monday 12/30, and didn't realize it until yesterday morning since we rushed to a tight connection to PDX and got in super late. I've filled out the online form with tons of detail, even went in person to PDX baggage where a nice rep scanned through some items in some system online and even spoke to some folks in SFO who said nothing had been registered or turned in yet.

I've looked through many of the "left item on plane" threads here and it seems a common assertion is that whether it has any chance of showing up again depends first on the integrity of the cleaning crew and whomever found it, if it was them.

Is that really the case? Do we really know that the cleaning crew is literally finding laptops, iPads, etc., and despite knowing full well that someone's entire life is on there, they are getting it off the flight into their own personal collection to sell / pawn / swap / etc., and possibly right under the noses of the UA pilots/FAs who may still be there or getting on? And if it's so common, as the assertion seems to be in some threads, how is this allowed to happen (by UA or any airline or the contractors that employ the cleaning crew)?

A couple of related questions: First, if anyone has any way of noting the next few routings of UA503 on 12/30 via flightaware, etc., that would be helpful to know. We arrived in SFO at about 10 PM. It could also be that it never made it off in SFO but did somewhere else, but it's pretty big at 17" and was in a neoprene sleeve as well. Who knows at this point.

Second, I'm assuming that if nothing happens locally at an airport in the next few days to match it up, it will make it to the Houston "warehouse" or wherever that central place is that things like this go (which is what I'm told). Does anyone have an actual direct number to reach this place to speak to someone? Or even a physical address should one want to go there?

Last, would love any additional insight anyone has on the process UA goes through to try to match up items with owners, whether they actually put effort into it, etc. My hopes are pretty slim at the moment, but fingers crossed... Thanks for any help. Hoping 2014 starts a bit lucky here...