When you forget an item on a plane and the airline staff finds it, you might expect the item to be held at the airport in a secure area for a period of time, allowing you to reclaim it before it is deemed abandoned.
These were the exact thoughts of my friend who recently lost his Apple AirPods on a Delta Air Lines flight.
After landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, he realized he didn’t have his AirPods with him when he went to use them during his ride home. Since this is an Apple product, he opened the Find My app, tapped Devices, and saw that his AirPods were still on the plane.
Annoyed yet relieved that he knew where they were, he called Delta, which prompted him to file a claim, and he decided to return to the airport the next day to collect his AirPods.
To his surprise, when he checked the Find My app the next morning, the AirPods were no longer at the airport.
They were on the highway miles away, headed to an unknown location.
What really happens to lost items on a plane?
Delta Airlines says,
“If you lost an unchecked item onboard a Delta flight, in the Delta gate area, or in our lounges, we will make every effort to return it to you as quickly as possible.”
Learning this, my friend instantly assumed someone had stolen his AirPods. He called Delta’s customer service line again, this time updating his claim to reflect his new findings. A couple of hours later, he checked to see where his AirPods were.
To his surprise, they were no longer in Georgia but now in Alabama, parked at a place called Unclaimed Baggage.
What is Unclaimed Baggage?
Established in the 1970s, Unclaimed Baggage is the leading retailer for airline lost baggage in America. This company has agreements with all domestic airlines and travel companies. They buy unclaimed items/lost baggage and resell them online or at their store in Scottsboro, Alabama.
With millions of items lost at airports each year, this niche industry is on track to reach $2.4 billion by 2033.
How to get your belongings back from Unclaimed Baggage
If your items end up at Unclaimed Baggage, that doesn’t mean the airline has sold your property. This is actually part of the official process, but you can interrupt it yourself if you have proof that your item is there and have already made a claim with the airline.
After discovering this, my friend called Unclaimed Baggage himself to notify them that his item was indeed at their facility and that he wanted it back. The Unclaimed Baggage staff instructed him to complete their lost item form.
A few days later, he received an email from Delta Air Lines stating that they had found his AirPods and that he would have to pay a small shipping fee to have them shipped to his home.
After a bit over a week, his AirPods were delivered to his home via FedEx safe and sound. Relieved to be reunited with his pricey headphones, he couldn’t help but wonder, “What if I had never known they were there?”