left stuff on plane - my fault, but......

Old Feb 23, 2019, 11:28 am
  #1  
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left stuff on plane - my fault, but......

So on Thursday I managed (finally) to leave my IPAD and Bose Headphones on the plane in the seat pocket. I realised half way to arrivals but it was too late.

Totally my fault of course. However, the items have not showed up, and the lady at Bagport who run the lost property office at LHR for BA (and other airlines) told me that uniquely, BA often do not provide the flight details for property left on planes, let alone the seat number. Hence, although I have registered the items on the MissingX website, the chances of me being reunited with the items are lessened.

My travel insurance will pay for part of the cost if they don't turn up. I wonder where they went to as the Headphone box was large and could not be missed by cleaners. More to the point, why can't BA pass the details of lost property to their agent with at least the flight details where they were found?
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 11:37 am
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Always the chance another passenger nabbed them when passing ! I had a bad knee once so waited for plane to clear and saw a camera in opposite CW seat .... one of last economy passengers picked it up and I assumed would hand over to CC at door. As I got on bus I saw he still had it. I questioned him and he said he was going to hand in but why would you not give it to CC ? I said I knew who was sitting in that seat and releaved him of it and handed it at reclaim ... some dodgy buggers out there
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 11:54 am
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that's a good point - hadn't thought of that.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 12:01 pm
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The suggestion that BA break the link between missing items and flight/seat is news to me. It would be interesting to hear from anyone in the know whether it's true, and why. I have a vested interest because being absent minded I am inclined to leave nice things on planes and have never succeeded in getting any of them back.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 1:15 pm
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Anything we find on the aircraft after arriving at T5 is taken by the crew member and handed in to the BA Baggage Office in the baggage hall. Whilst there we fill out a form with the flight number, where the item was found, including seat number if known, and a description of the item. The item is then delivered to the Lost Property Office landside, behind domestic arrivals, at some point in the next 24 hours. How long the item stays there before going offsite I don't know.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 1:21 pm
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Are you able to track your iPad or lock it out at least? I believe you can do this via the iCloud website if you don't have the app installed on any other devices.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 2:05 pm
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Originally Posted by Laphroaig57
Always the chance another passenger nabbed them when passing ! I had a bad knee once so waited for plane to clear and saw a camera in opposite CW seat .... one of last economy passengers picked it up and I assumed would hand over to CC at door. As I got on bus I saw he still had it. I questioned him and he said he was going to hand in but why would you not give it to CC ? I said I knew who was sitting in that seat and releaved him of it and handed it at reclaim ... some dodgy buggers out there
It's the fashion to blame the low-level cleaners rather than fellow passengers.

As to the item, even if it is not logged as to flight number and seat, at least the iPad has a serial number on it which you ought to be able to pull up somewhere between your receipt, AppleCare, and anywhere you register your device.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 5:28 pm
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This brings back a sad memory (sad in my eyes at least) but I left my MacBook in the pocket of 1A in CE. I hadnt realise until the following morning.

I landed on the last flight into LGW, weary eyed I crawled into the Hilton south terminal and awoke to the annoying frustration of it all. I was awake early enough to head back to North Terminal, when BA were living there, to ask someone. The aircraft was still parked up and closed up. Some very helpful staff managed to get onboard and check before the next operating flight but no MacBook was found.

I checked with lost property for a few weeks to come after but nothing turned up. I registered it with the local police. I never saw it again.

I heard rumours that other eagle eyed passengers take stuff or the cleaning contractors have quite a good side business from leftovers on aircraft. I doubt we will ever know the truth but if its ever a financially valuable item you can probably bet it wont end up in a lost property office!

I know its just a MacBook but actually it was the white version they dont do anymore and part of the Steve Jobs era. I was keen on keeping it beyond its use.

Sorry you lost your stuff. I wish there was a better way of getting stuff back.
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Old Feb 23, 2019, 6:04 pm
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Originally Posted by rockflyertalk
... I know its just a MacBook but actually it was the white version they dont do anymore and part of the Steve Jobs era. I was keen on keeping it beyond its use.

Sorry you lost your stuff. I wish there was a better way of getting stuff back.
Gee, I have one of those... Mr. J and I have been wondering how to permanently clear off our information and get rid of it. Heavy thing...
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 1:36 am
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Originally Posted by rockflyertalk
...but if its ever a financially valuable item you can probably bet it wont end up in a lost property office!
Well, I had an experience at KUL last year that (briefly) restored my faith in human nature.

I was flying MCT-KUL-MEL J on WY transferring to MH. I had inadvertently left my laptop bag (with laptop and phone) on the WY 330 and only realised it when well on my way to the MH gate. I really had very little time to make my connection, so proceeded to the gate. To my huge surprise and relief, on arrival at the gate I was presented with my laptop bag by an MH staffer. To say I was knocked out would be a huge understatement.

So there are honest airport employees, but in a minority?
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 1:59 am
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Originally Posted by Grace B
Well, I had an experience at KUL last year that (briefly) restored my faith in human nature.

I was flying MCT-KUL-MEL J on WY transferring to MH. I had inadvertently left my laptop bag (with laptop and phone) on the WY 330 and only realised it when well on my way to the MH gate. I really had very little time to make my connection, so proceeded to the gate. To my huge surprise and relief, on arrival at the gate I was presented with my laptop bag by an MH staffer. To say I was knocked out would be a huge understatement.

So there are honest airport employees, but in a minority?
probably a large majority. I left an envelope containing cash and cards in a seat pocket and it was returned through the lost property process at LGW.
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 2:23 am
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Crew and cleaners deal with lost property all the time. Im not saying that theft doesnt happen, but Id have thought it is a very small minority of property. I wonder where the aircraft went to next and whether it was handed in there!
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 2:29 am
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Originally Posted by JayeJ
Gee, I have one of those... Mr. J and I have been wondering how to permanently clear off our information and get rid of it. Heavy thing...
Unscrew the bottom, remove hard drive , hit with hammer, take remains to 'small electronics' bit of recycling ctr.

Ref the missing items, I know it doesn't help much but a friend of mine is very forgetful / permanently jet-lagged and to my knowledge has in the last few years left one nearly brand new MacBook and a couple of iPads on BA flights and they have always got back to him within a week.
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 3:24 am
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I recently found a power bank in the seat pocket in front, it was quite chunky so not that easily missed. I gave it to one of the crew. It had obviously been missed from the journey out. It would have been handed in at LHR when the owner might have been looking to see if it had been handed in at AUH.
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 5:26 am
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Blaming the cleaners would imply that BA's aircraft have a thorough clean at every turnaround...
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