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What happens to items left on a plane?

Willyd0311
Explorer C

What exactly happens to an item left on a plane?  If it is turned over to a third party, who is that third party and is there any tracking of the articles that Southwest turns over to the third party?  I was on a through flight and I lost my wedding ring on the first segment and didn't notice it was gone until I got to my destination airport.  After checking my seating area I talked with the flight attendant on my way off the plane who confirmed that they found the ring and they turned it over to the staff at the airport we stopped at.  Next business day I start making my calls and of course, nobody knows what I'm talking about and instantly tells me its turned over to a third party.

8 REPLIES 8

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

dfwskier
Aviator A

All found items are shipped to a central location in Alabama and are entered into the "found items" database. I do not know if this is SW or third party.

 

You should fill out a SW lost item report - including as much detail as possible to help others identify your item.

 

The process can take up to 30 days.

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

Willyd0311
Explorer C

Thank you.  I did fill out the "item left on board" form online and received a form letter response two days later "We have been searching for your lost item for seven days, unfortunately, to no avail...."  Southwest did confirm to me that they send lost and found items to a third party contractor.  Does anyone know who that contractor is?  and if there is a log of the lost items that were found?

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

dfwskier
Aviator A

Don't know for sure, but I would imagine this is where things found on SW go:

 

https://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

Don't know for sure, but I would imagine this is where things found on SW go:

 

https://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/


The items do go there after being unclaimed for 30 days or some waiting period, there is a different group that handles them while they are still actively "lost and found" that is also in Scottsboro, AL. It used to be called "Aero Services" or something like that.

 

@Willyd0311 you can try this, I don't know if it is current. Leave a message, they don't pick up: 256-999-0980

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Willyd0311 wrote:

I was on a through flight and I lost my wedding ring on the first segment and didn't notice it was gone until I got to my destination airport.  After checking my seating area I talked with the flight attendant on my way off the plane who confirmed that they found the ring and they turned it over to the staff at the airport we stopped at. 


Can you be more specific here? It sounds like you were on a flight from Airport A, then when you landed at "Airport B" I'm not clear if you changed planes or not. Usually a through flight would mean you stayed on the same plane.

 

Then you noticed the items was missing when you landed at "Airport C" didn't find it but the FA - the same one you started at Airport A? - said it was found and turned into the Airport B staff.

 

If one of the fellow passengers found it and carried it off the plane and turned it in you should check the lost and found at Airport B as well as baggage services of Airport B just in case, but also as @dfwskier mentioned its critical to file a report with as much description of the item as possible.

 

If you search this forum for "Scottsboro" I've posted a phone number you can try for the facility although they may be a day or two before they would get your item. Filling out the lost item report is what gets you in touch with the third party, you are expected to work through Southwest to provide a description.

 

The fact that the FA knew the item had been found seems to imply it was carried off the plane at Airport B, or else if it was found inflight they would have made an announcement, unless they did that and you didn't hear it for some reason.

 

Good luck, I hope you are reunited with it!

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

Willyd0311
Explorer C

My flight was from DAL to BWI with at stopover at SRQ.  I took my ring off shortly after takeoff from DAL.  Didn't notice it until getting ready to land at BWI.  After landing at BWI I checked my surroundings and could not find it.  I asked the FA on my way off the plane at BWI if anyone had turned in a ring.  She said they found the ring during their cleaning on the stopover at SRQ and turned it in to personnel at SRQ.   She simply said contact SRQ airport and they should be able to help.  I neglected to ask specifically who she turned it in to.  I contacted both airport lost and found and airport baggage in addition to contacting Southwest who gave me the number to some other department at SRQ.  In addition, I filed out a "Report an item left on board" form on the Southwest website.  Within 2 days I received the form letter from Southwest;  "We have been searching for your lost item for seven days, unfortunately, to no avail....."

 

Had the FA not acknowledged that they found my ring and turned it in at SRQ I would probably just move on knowing that a dishonest person probably eventually found it and was going to keep it.  However, with the acknowledgement that the ring was found and turned in, I am sure it's just a matter of getting with the correct person to actually do a check.  After calling SW back to find out what the step by step process is that happens with an item turned in, I got nowhere.  The only thing I have been told is that they turn it over to a third party contractor.  My questions are:  1) Who is the third party contractor?  2) Is there a log of items that Southwest turns over to the contractor.

 

I 100% understand that the airline has no real responsibility for an item that I lost.  However, knowing that it was seen, handled, and turned in makes it all very frustrating.

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

PettyIntrigues
Adventurer A

That email is automatically generated; I think it just means it hasn’t shown up in the Alabama system, and it may well not: have all those SRQ leads confirmed they don’t have it? I would be a bit of a squeaky wheel and try one more time with SRQ SWA. It almost certainly passed through the hands of one of the gate agents there and there aren’t a ton of those there I presume. 


Good luck. I’ve definitely been there.

 

Re: What happens to items left on a plane?

Willyd0311
Explorer C

You are 100% correct.  SRQ is a small airport and someone should know.  This is why I'm trying to find out if anyone actually knows the true procedures for an item left on board.  If I know the procedure, then I can pinpoint exactly who I should seek out to verify.  

 

Thank you.  I will continue to be the squeaky wheel.