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Lost and Found

jclahan
Explorer C

34371222_xl

It was time to come home… back to reality.

I could see the snow covered cars in the parking lot as my Southwest flight landed in Indianapolis, and knew I would soon be standing in the cold, brushing off a pile of snow from my car in a lightweight hoodie. I had managed to escape for a week long cruise in the Caribbean during one of the worst weeks this past winter. Every morning I would look up the weather forecast back home and see single digit temperatures and snow expected, and then I would step outside onto a white sandy beach, find my lounge chair, and spend the day relaxing in the sun and reading from the collection of books I brought along with me thanks to my local library. I was catching up on some old fashioned reading… the kind where you measure your progress by the chapter you are on and not the percent you have completed. The kind of book that doesn’t require batteries but weighs down your backpack. The kind you can forget about as you collect your belongings in the seat-back pocket as you deplane. It took me a few hours to realize I had left a book on-board, and I knew the aircraft was already gone. There was zero chance that I’d ever see it again. I also knew with Southwest’s open seating, there was no way that they would know the book was mine, and I had a sinking feeling I would be buying the book from the library. Thankfully it wasn’t due for a few week, so I had some time before I had to go to the library and admit that I lost a book. Book Return Chute

Then something I never expected happened.

I logged onto my library account and there was a notice about my book... showing it was returned! Someone from Southwest found my book in the seat-back pocket and, seeing it was a library book, sent it back to the library for me. I couldn’t believe someone would have gone the extra mile to return a book that was found on-board instead of just throwing it into a lost and found bin with the hopes someone would call in looking for it. It’s the little things that make Southwest unique, like returning a library book from someone more focused on the snow than remembering to grab his book. Thanks Southwest!
2 Comments
pafeiss
Explorer C
Talk about going up and above the call of duty ... my luggage was accidently sent to Phoenix when I was going to Chicago. No big deal, except, I had a frozen mosenberry pie in one of the suitcases and the suitcases were not coming until the first flight of the NEXT day. Even though the pie was frozen and in several plastic bags, I could just see dark blue berry stains everywhere. Not to worry as the Southwest baggage representative let Phoenix representative know the situation. They took the pie out of my suitcase, put it in the freezer, put it back in the suitcase the next morning and when it was delivered (mid-afternoon) it was still frozen! And that's why I fly Southwest.
Carolinesuarez
Explorer C

I am not so lucky, and heartbroken at the same time.  I lost my diamond Cartier Love bracelet on a Southwest flight from Vegas to Burbank flight #2378 that flight was supposed to leave Vegas @ 2:15.  It ended up being like we were little children left in a hot car in 108 degrees.  Needless to say, people got really hot and started taking layers of clothes off.  In the process, I know of one other person on the same flight that lost his watch taking his shirt off, because we felt like we would suffocate.  We could not turn on lights, push up window coverings, because it was too hot outside on the tarmac.  We were in darkness. Finally, Southwest pilot decided we would change aircrafts.   Also, by the time we got back to the gate we were in a hurry to get off the hot plane.  Anyway, in all the chaos, I lost my bracelet off my wrist.  I heard it fall and I could not find it.  When we exited the plane I told a supervisor and he told me to tell the pilot.  Which I did, he supposedly tried to go back on the plane to get our things, but it was already being taken to maintenance.  Haven't heard a thing from southwest regarding this situation.  I want to see if I offer a reward someone might turn it in.  These bracelets have serial numbers so they can be trace back to owner.  If someone knows or remembers seeing something, let me know.  I will continue to keep my faith in the human race.