Once your carry-on baggage is properly stored in the overhead bin, you will settle in your seat and prepare to zone out for the next few hours by catching up last season White lotus. But wait a moment. Your earphones. . . They are not in your backpack. You are positive that you put them down before you left the airport. Did you leave it on the tray when you passed the security line? Will we meet again?
Whether you forget your iPad in your seat back pocket or the watch on the tray passing through airport security, losing items in transit is a terrible feeling.
However, there is no reason to admit defeat. The airline and TSA want to help you reunite with lost belongings. In fact, TSA estimates that it recovers nearly 100,000 lost items each year.
What if I leave something at the airport?
Few people say they enjoy passing through airport security checkpoints. After removing the shoes and belt, putting the laptop and electronics in another bottle (for those who don’t have a TSA Precheck), making sure they’ve finished their final water drops in the water bottle, then going through the TSA screening process, always feeling a bit more at ease. And of course, the process differs from airport to airport, so you need to stay on your toes when navigating the different rules.
You will need to repack your belongings before relaxing in the lounge or reading tax-free. You need to make sure you have a passport and any lost items that may have fallen down as the bin moved through the conveyor belt.
TSA spokesman Lisa Farbstein said that if he arrives at security and leaves something in security and realizes that he has time before boarding is over (the point of the discussion of going to the airport), he asks him to go back to the checkpoint and speak to the supervisor. She said, “If an item is found, it can be easily returned.”
However, if you don’t realize that something is missing until your flight takes off, Farbstein says it’s about reaching out to the TSA through the lost page. Here you will be prompted to enter the airport name or code. Depending on the airport, you may have a phone number or a form you have already filled out.
For items left at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, one of the busiest airports in the country, you must fill out a form that includes the date and approximate time the item was lost. Farbstein says in more detail, better. For mobile phones, tablets or laptops, they can provide distinctive characteristics such as make and model, color, case description, and even lock screen photos.
The TSA team will use the information and details provided to check if the item remains at the checkpoint. “If that’s the case, we’re happy to see that travelers can reunite with their items,” Farbstein says. “This is one of the customer service that most travelers probably don’t notice.”
Items left at the security checkpoint will be retained by the TSA for a minimum of 30 days or until the item is returned to the legitimate owner. Although there is no maximum time for the TSA to hold items, Farbstein says the team will often hold more valuable items longer, hoping that the team will understand where the traveler has left.
Items that are not billed by the owner will be sold if they are deemed to be destroyed or worthwhile. According to the TSA FAQ page, “You may be surprised to hear where the money goes. “The money from the sale of lost and discovered items will be sent to the US Treasury Department to the General Fund used to pay US government bonds.”
What if I leave something on the plane?
If you leave your child’s favorite stuffed bunny left on the plane right after you disembark, you will not be able to return to the plane to retrieve it. However, you can get help from a member of the flight crew. A Delta spokesperson said flight attendants and gate agents would be happy to assist passengers in the event that they quickly make something left behind before they leave the gate area.
If you don’t know until it’s too late, the best option is to consult your airline website. There you will start filling out reports of lost items. This is the case for major US airlines Delta, American, United and Jetblue. Southwest passengers are instructed to notify customer service agents in front They leave the airport. When you return home, it is a protocol to fill out an online report.
By providing an email, you can expect to be contacted when and when the item is found. United’s form includes a notice that shipping costs are the passenger’s responsibility, but in some cases, non-cost pickups can be arranged at the airport.
You can also use the online form to report items that may have been lost in the gate area. 30 days is the standard time before airlines search for items.
It may take some patience and patience, but it is possible to track missing items.
If you are in doubt, follow the guidance provided by Farbstein.
- If you leave items on the plane: Please contact the airline.
- If you leave items at the airport terminal (toilets, gate areas, restaurants): Please contact the airport.
- If you leave items in your car rental: Please contact the car rental company.
- If you leave items at the security checkpoint: Please contact TSA.
This article was originally published in 2024 and was recently updated on May 12, 2025, with current information.
