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Southwest Airlines Community

Lost and found

JH829
Explorer C

I lost my iPad on a flight from Boise to Spokane. I called Southwest baggage in Spokane. They directed my to the form to fill out. I completed it right away. I have received the electronic generated no reply responses that Southwest is diligently searching and that after 30 days I will be out of luck. I turned on find my iPad. I know my iPad is at Southwest Alabama facility. I had it play a sound several times. It has been long enough now that the battery has run down. If someone had opened it before that all info would have been seen. So frustrating. Now my black iPad mini looks like all the rest. Wish I could speak with a real person in Alabama. 

17 REPLIES 17

Re: Lost and found

dfwskier
Aviator A

Sorry    to hear that this has happened to you.

 

Finding lost stuff is a large complicated process due to the volume of claims.  If just 1 in 1000 people loses something this year, that means that Southwest has to try to find 160,000 items. I'm sure there is a process involving a database where lost items are input into the databae and then found items are also added, and then the airline tries to match the two. The airline really does try, but probably does not have the resources to personally search for 160,000 items.

 

That being said, you do seem to have an advantage. You seem to know that your iPad is in Birmingham (you said Alabama so I made a presumption). So if I were you, I'd call the Birmingham airport, and ask for Southwest baggage claim. Explain your story and ask if there is someone who handles lost items that you can talk with. I don't know if it will work or not. It's worth a try. Other than that your only other option is to let the lost item process evolve. The phone number is  

(205) 595-0533

 Good luck.

Re: Lost and found

cathyfc1
Explorer C

Yes but you think that Southwest would have a way to handle lost items in place... Like as they are cleaning a plane they find a  book they bag it and tag it with the time - date -  flight number then hand it to a group at the airport that puts it in a bin or on a shelf  and logs it in an app and then a report comes in and the two get matched up.. I know it would not work for all lost items BUT I would think they would be able to have a better return rate than I have seen mentioned here on the message boards.  Those 160,000 items a year are not all at the same airport or all at the same time..  and I doubt it is even that high. But would love to see some numbers of how many things they find per flight and how many get returned. 


@dfwskier wrote:

Sorry    to hear that this has happened to you.

 

Finding lost stuff is a large complicated process due to the volume of claims.  If just 1 in 1000 people loses something this year, that means that Southwest has to try to find 160,000 items. I'm sure there is a process involving a database where lost items are input into the databae and then found items are also added, and then the airline tries to match the two. The airline really does try, but probably does not have the resources to personally search for 160,000 items.

 

That being said, you do seem to have an advantage. You seem to know that your iPad is in Birmingham (you said Alabama so I made a presumption). So if I were you, I'd call the Birmingham airport, and ask for Southwest baggage claim. Explain your story and ask if there is someone who handles lost items that you can talk with. I don't know if it will work or not. It's worth a try. Other than that your only other option is to let the lost item process evolve. The phone number is  

(205) 595-0533

 Good luck.


( I would think it averages less than one thing of value per flight)  I work in a public location that has days of 3 to 4 thousand visitors per day during peak season, we average ~ 1 item a day and have a fairly High return to owner rate.

 

Re: Lost and found

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@cathyfc1 wrote:

( I would think it averages less than one thing of value per flight)  I work in a public location that has days of 3 to 4 thousand visitors per day during peak season, we average ~ 1 item a day and have a fairly High return to owner rate.

 


What's your rate? It may be reasonable for yours to be higher - you have one facility that people visit where Southwest has thousands of flights per day - as you mentioned hopefully it is fewer than an item per flight but whatever the number may be.

 

 


@cathyfc1 wrote:

Yes but you think that Southwest would have a way to handle lost items in place... Like as ...


@dfwskier wrote:

 

That being said, you do seem to have an advantage. You seem to know that your iPad is in Birmingham (you said Alabama so I made a presumption). So if I were you, I'd call the Birmingham airport, and ask for Southwest baggage claim. Explain your story and ask if there is someone who handles lost items that you can talk with. I don't know if it will work or not. It's worth a try. Other than that your only other option is to let the lost item process evolve. The phone number is  

(205) 595-0533

 Good luck.

 


Actually when people see their GPS in Alabama, it is probably in Scotsboro, AL where the processing facility is near Huntsville. I don't have it handy, but posted the phone number for that facility on another thread.

 

 

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

Re: Lost and found

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@JH829 Hopefully someone will plug it back in before final disposition and have it returned to you.

 

Where was it in Alabama, near Scottsboro (outside Huntsville)? I have heard on this community that Southwest has a lost and found contractor of some kind, and their facility may be in that area and they may serve multiple other airlines as well.

 

There is also a facility there for disposition of items that can't be re-united with their owners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Re: Lost and found

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@JH829 wrote:

I lost my iPad on a flight from Boise to Spokane. I called Southwest baggage in Spokane. They directed my to the form to fill out. I completed it right away. I have received the electronic generated no reply responses that Southwest is diligently searching and that after 30 days I will be out of luck. I turned on find my iPad. I know my iPad is at Southwest Alabama facility. I had it play a sound several times. It has been long enough now that the battery has run down. If someone had opened it before that all info would have been seen. So frustrating. Now my black iPad mini looks like all the rest. Wish I could speak with a real person in Alabama. 


@JH829I found this number online for reaching Aero Services, who may also be the Southwest lost and found contractor? Might be worth a try if you know that your item just showed up there.

 

256-999-0980

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

Re: Lost and found

kuroda1
Explorer C

Thanks for the phone number and all the other information on your post. I have recovered my lost item today thanks to your posts. 

Re: Lost and found

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

Any luck @JH829?

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

Re: Lost and found

JH829
Explorer C

Happily when I got home, I still had the box with the serial number. Edited my lost form to include it. Within two hours I received a reply that my iPad was found. Paid for shipping and have it back. Lessons learned...keep the serial number and don’t put your iPad in the seat pocket. 

Re: Lost and found

bec102896
Aviator A

Glad your item was found and returned to you!