Laptop left on plane: stupid me
Dec 13, 2016, 11:15 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,551
Laptop left on plane: stupid me
Flying Queenstown to Auckland on the last flight one evening and I got my laptop out and did some work (first time I have done that in 579 flights!) and put it in the seat pocket for landing. Completely forgot about it until I was at work the next day.
Online lost property report filed - but it's not been 'found'.
Although I am picking it has been found, either:
a) by a fellow passenger (more than likely a HVC as I was seated very near the front, but I am sure not someone from FT!)
b) AirNZ cleaning or other crew - I presume it would be easy enough to remove.
I am fully aware this is my stupidity - but was kind of hoping an honest person might have found it. Maybe that is as stupid as believing in Santa.
Online lost property report filed - but it's not been 'found'.
Although I am picking it has been found, either:
a) by a fellow passenger (more than likely a HVC as I was seated very near the front, but I am sure not someone from FT!)
b) AirNZ cleaning or other crew - I presume it would be easy enough to remove.
I am fully aware this is my stupidity - but was kind of hoping an honest person might have found it. Maybe that is as stupid as believing in Santa.
Dec 13, 2016, 11:45 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,094
When I grabbed my bag on Fri to go to Auckland on Saturday I realised my tablet want in it. I knew I had this on my flight from Japan a couple of weeks prior and was pretty sure I must have left it on my flight to Wellington.
I filed a lost property report with NZ but their systems don't seem that complex - no record of flight or seat #s are recorded on most found property in their system.
I filed a lost property report with NZ but their systems don't seem that complex - no record of flight or seat #s are recorded on most found property in their system.
Dec 14, 2016, 12:41 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: NZ *E
Posts: 41
Left my HTC smartphone on the plane in Sydney a few years ago. Realised as soon as I got landside, and hung around for an hour or so to see if it could be found. It couldn't, apparently. Which was good, I hated that phone.
The thing is, objects left on the plane disappear really fast, usually within minutes.
Sorry to hear about your laptop, jeffrocowboy.
The thing is, objects left on the plane disappear really fast, usually within minutes.
Sorry to hear about your laptop, jeffrocowboy.
Last edited by Aqua_3380; Dec 14, 2016 at 12:50 am
Dec 14, 2016, 1:13 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,402
When I lose something in public, I just assume that it's gone. If someone honest finds and returns it, it will be a pleasant surprise. There's so much stealing taking place, that chances are low that it finds it way back to you.
Dec 14, 2016, 1:18 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Auckland NZ
Programs: NZ Gold Elite, AS, AC, QF
Posts: 746
I left the case for my Bose Q35s, which had a spare battery, cable and the charger. Realised within 2 hours of being home, filed an immediate request and was told the next day "no sign of it." I know precisely where I left (seat pocket) and gave the seat number. Rather depressing.
Dec 14, 2016, 1:20 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Airpoints, HHONORS GOLD VIP, Aclub Gold
Posts: 757
I flew akl - syd in J a wee while back, stupidly I left an IPOD in the side cubby in the J seat. I realised once I hit baggage reclaim, it had already disapeared by the time I spoke to an airline offical..
Dec 14, 2016, 2:36 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ Elite, QF Platinum (LTS), VA Platinum
Posts: 1,672
Same, plane had not left Perth but I wasn't allowed back (made it to rental car) and of course it never was found. Too easy to pocket these things.
Dec 14, 2016, 2:43 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: Air NZ Gold
Posts: 87
I was lucky enough to have a very expensive set of head phones turned in and returned about a week later. I can only assume they traveled in the seat pocket for a week before they called me.
Some hope for you I guess.
Some hope for you I guess.
Dec 14, 2016, 8:55 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: NZ
Programs: NZ*E, Global Entry
Posts: 300
I got off NZ7 a few months ago and realized as I was approaching immigration that I'd left my ipad in the seat pocket...gray cover on ipad blended in with the pocket material; silly mistake.
I swam upstream like a spawning salmon and retrieved it. I imagine if the plane had been fully de-boarded, I never would have seen it again. Got lucky.
I swam upstream like a spawning salmon and retrieved it. I imagine if the plane had been fully de-boarded, I never would have seen it again. Got lucky.
Dec 14, 2016, 9:05 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 229
All is not hopeless...
A couple of years ago I left some slightly sensitive papers in the seat pocket (I've never done sensitive work on a plane again!!). I discovered this about an hour after I got home. I rang without any real expectation... But they found the papers (an unintended consequence of no longer cleaning planes?) in the pocket. The plane then did a tiki-tour round the country and I picked them up about 6 hours later. True, they had no value...but I wonder about the value of a second hand, old model locked phone or computer... Good luck!
Dec 14, 2016, 11:18 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: NZ*G, United.
Posts: 194
At the risk of displaying my absent-mindedness I have left my Kindle in the seat pocket three times. Twice arriving in Auckland and the other time Adelaide. Every time it was in the lost property office within a couple of days and I got it back. I now follow the instructions more carefully.
YMMV - obviously.
YMMV - obviously.
Dec 14, 2016, 11:24 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ*S plus various hotel programs
Posts: 945
I accidentally left some good quality headphones on a domestic flight about a year ago. I called the NZ number to report the loss and got a call back about an hour later saying they had been found, so it was just a case of picking them up a few days later on my next flight.
Dec 14, 2016, 4:03 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 644
Left a digital camera many years ago on a QF flight. This was when digital cameras were fairly new (prior to that we loaded film!) and I imagine worth a bit of money (these days many just have their phone). I rang QF lost and found and was promptly told that the camera was recovered. When I got it back, in it was snaps of ground crew having a play with.
I have a ritual of checking seat pockets or mostly cavities in J seats, check seat itself and overhead bins before I leave.
Yet, I left behind twin headphone adaptor on EK flight recently.
I have a ritual of checking seat pockets or mostly cavities in J seats, check seat itself and overhead bins before I leave.
Yet, I left behind twin headphone adaptor on EK flight recently.
Dec 14, 2016, 5:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: usually in Pacific Islands
Programs: NZ (LT Koru); QF (WP & LTG); FJ (Tabua)
Posts: 123
Wonder what the "etiquette" is among cabin cleaning crews? Finders keepers, or share the spoils around, or is there an underground market with such stuff (there seems to be an awful lot that disappears very quickly from these reports). Are there any security screenings conducted on such employees as they leave work etc. etc?
