I left a cell phone on a plane last Monday night. I didn't get it back, and I'm sure that someone has a nice, slightly used iMate JasJar to play with now, but I did learn one thing when I called it in as was in the rental car looping around to go back to the airport: If you just ask the CSR to help they won't. But, if you give them specific instructions they will frequently follow them. The CSR in my case played the "there is nothing we can do" card until I specifically asked her to call the baggage services office at the airport. She called some other desk and said again that no one was at the airport. I repeated the baggage services office request and finally she called them and put me in a conference call with the agent working there so I could explain exactly where I left the phone so they could find it and put it on eBay (though I don't see it there yet).

Moral of the story is that the CSR folks can do it if they want to, but they often need to be nudged in the correct direction to make the right call in these situations. Sad, but true.

Other moral of the story is to not leave your phone in the cubby next to the seat when deplaning.