Reunited with my iPad after two years.
May 16, 2022, 1:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,377
Reunited with my iPad after two years.
So on a January, 2020 flight from LHR/DFW my iPad somehow got 'swallowed' by my seat in J. Upon landing the pilot helped me partially strip away some of the seat upholstery including the life vest but finding it proved fruitless. Seeing how I had a connecting flight and the aircraft was scheduled to go out anyway about an hour later, we abandoned calling maintenance in to help. For the next two days I was able to follow it's adventures to MIA and CLT but eventually the battery expired and I gave up ever retrieving it.
A couple days ago a mechanic in Tulsa, Roberto, called me to say he found it during a seat upgrade program...I had locked it with the startup screen giving my telephone number. He was so sweet to recharge it and notify me. A quick tweet to the AA team and the long lost device is on it's way home!
Have obviously replaced it, but it's gratifying to see so many nice people work behind the scenes at AA.
A couple days ago a mechanic in Tulsa, Roberto, called me to say he found it during a seat upgrade program...I had locked it with the startup screen giving my telephone number. He was so sweet to recharge it and notify me. A quick tweet to the AA team and the long lost device is on it's way home!
Have obviously replaced it, but it's gratifying to see so many nice people work behind the scenes at AA.
May 16, 2022, 1:38 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 668
Originally Posted by GaryZ;[url=tel:34254960
34254960[/url]]So on a January, 2020 flight from LHR/DFW my iPad somehow got 'swallowed' by my seat in J. Upon landing the pilot helped me partially strip away some of the seat upholstery including the life vest but finding it proved fruitless. Seeing how I had a connecting flight and the aircraft was scheduled to go out anyway about an hour later, we abandoned calling maintenance in to help. For the next two days I was able to follow it's adventures to MIA and CLT but eventually the battery expired and I gave up ever retrieving it.
A couple days ago a mechanic in Tulsa, Roberto, called me to say he found it during a seat upgrade program...I had locked it with the startup screen giving my telephone number. He was so sweet to recharge it and notify me. A quick tweet to the AA team and the long lost device is on it's way home!
Have obviously replaced it, but it's gratifying to see so many nice people work behind the scenes at AA.
A couple days ago a mechanic in Tulsa, Roberto, called me to say he found it during a seat upgrade program...I had locked it with the startup screen giving my telephone number. He was so sweet to recharge it and notify me. A quick tweet to the AA team and the long lost device is on it's way home!
Have obviously replaced it, but it's gratifying to see so many nice people work behind the scenes at AA.
May 16, 2022, 1:57 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
I thought they do a full STOP if an electronic device is swallowed by a business class seat given the concerns surrounding batteries, etc. I'm surprised they continued to fly with it embedded somewhere in the seat mechanicals?
May 17, 2022, 4:55 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
Programs: DL Plat 1MM, AA EXP 3MM, SQ Krisflyer Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 1,132
Great outcome. Mine was "eaten" upon landing in MUC recently. I filled in the lost and found form, and the apple Find Me app allowed me to watch it fly around. It was actually taken out of the plane 2 days later in CLT. I updated the lost and found info with where the iPad was. I flew through CLT 3 days later and nobody had any clue where I could get that thing. There was still enough power left to see it on the Find app on the phone. Eventually I ended up land side at a baggage counter and was able to convince someone that behind his door is probably my iPad. It was. I doubt I would have gotten it back through anything AA would have done.
On the other hand - a few years ago I ran into a friend at FLL security and somehow that distracted me and I left my laptop in the bin. My laptop has no name etc. yet shortly after takeoff (I think the route was FLL-ATL-LAS) the flight attendant gave me a little print out "Please advise PAX in 2A that we have his laptop. Ask if we should keep it here or forward to LAS". They must have looked at video coverage to figure out it was mine. Delta brought this thing for free to my hotel in LAS. Was very impressed.
Another time my wife left a plastic bag on a Delta flight with Sea's Candies. I flew home a few hours later. There was a CC receipt in the bag. Someone was waiting at the gate when I got out and gave it to me. Also impressive.
On the other hand - a few years ago I ran into a friend at FLL security and somehow that distracted me and I left my laptop in the bin. My laptop has no name etc. yet shortly after takeoff (I think the route was FLL-ATL-LAS) the flight attendant gave me a little print out "Please advise PAX in 2A that we have his laptop. Ask if we should keep it here or forward to LAS". They must have looked at video coverage to figure out it was mine. Delta brought this thing for free to my hotel in LAS. Was very impressed.
Another time my wife left a plastic bag on a Delta flight with Sea's Candies. I flew home a few hours later. There was a CC receipt in the bag. Someone was waiting at the gate when I got out and gave it to me. Also impressive.
May 17, 2022, 6:42 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: PWM
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, 1MM, Bonsai Plat-Pro, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 380
If the seats can "Eat" an iPad and not give it back... I wonder what else they find in there
and a found box of SEE's Chocolates? that's a Moral Dilemma! is God testing me? or is God Rewarding Me? RT
and a found box of SEE's Chocolates? that's a Moral Dilemma! is God testing me? or is God Rewarding Me? RT
May 17, 2022, 8:20 am
#12
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: HHonors Diamond
Posts: 24
Wait so you're saying that for 2 years your iPad traveled around the globe in a seat? That is one well traveled iPad! It's like the Weasley's car roaming the forest turning wild.
Also...seat upgrade? Wonder what work is being done. J seat so maybe old Zodiac connected seat fixes?
Also...seat upgrade? Wonder what work is being done. J seat so maybe old Zodiac connected seat fixes?
May 17, 2022, 11:00 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,377
The Tulsa supervisor who called me about the iPad said they had also found some 'high-end' credit cards with a wad of cash strapped to them...saying that the passenger will probably be quite surprised at their return!