Lost & Found . . .

TRAVELODGE, has revealed some of the more interesting items left behind in its 525 UK hotels during 2016. With over 18 million people annually staying in a Travelodge hotel something is bound to get left behind some unusual items include . . .

At Dundee Strathmore Travelodge the housekeeper got a pleasant surprise when she opened the door to room 14 at the hotel and found a family of three generations of gnomes – chilling out in the room.

One fashion conscious customer left behind a trio of prosthetic legs at Manchester Piccadilly Travelodge. Each leg wore a different designer shoe. (This included a Valentino, Gucci and Mui Mui shoe) .

Interestingly, during 2016 quite a few business travellers have been very forgetful and some of the more unusual left behinds have included:

Keys to a haveli (a mansion) in Deli, India.

A Swarovski encrusted waving cat, a lucky charm in the Chinese culture which attracts good luck and fortune. The businessman was so distraught about leaving his lucky cat behind that he arranged for a special overnight courier to collect it and bring it back to him.

One business customer staying at Bank Travelodge left behind his annual company accounts and one CEO was in such a hurry to get to his meeting that he forgot his teddy bear, which has been his companion for forty years.

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Lost, Found & Auctioned at Malta International Airport

AN average of 750 lost-and-found items are successfully returned to their owners by Malta International Airport every year, many items remain unclaimed and eventually find new owners as they go under the hammer during Malta International Airport’s Lost, Found & Auctioned.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s auction, which was held on Wednesday 7th of December, was attended by some 200 people. The auctioneers for the evening, radio hosts JD Patrick, Martina Zammit and Nate & Rossi, took the prospective bidders through a list of more than 100 items.

While the usual suspects included a number of mobile phones and branded sunglasses; a small guitar, a hairdryer, a pair of vintage binoculars and two TV screens were among the more surprising items.

Starting from €100 and eventually going for a noteworthy €610, a Macbook Air was this year’s highest-selling auction item. Also fetching the substantial amounts of €560 and €500, were a piece of mystery luggage and a second Macbook Air, respectively. In the end, a total of €9,200 was collected, with this year’s beneficiary being The Inspire Foundation.

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Help … where’s my luggage?

AIRPORT PARKING & HOTELS (APH) has created a guide comparing airline policies for lost or delayed luggage. The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website: www.aph.com/lostluggage. 

The research compares the lost luggage policies of 18 airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, and Ryanair and compares what to do if luggage, its contents, or any personal items on-board an aircraft go missing.

For all airlines, travellers must report lost luggage to an airline representative or airport customer service desk immediately and complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) prior to leaving the airport. Virgin Atlantic also recommends that travellers take a photograph of their luggage prior to travelling to help in the case of missing luggage.

Once reported missing, all 18 airlines provide online tracing services for luggage. British Airways will return lost luggage to any address in the world (with the exception of a few countries due to government restrictions) free of charge within 72 hours. For travellers flying with Air France, easyJet, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic, travellers must complete a baggage claim form for compensation if their luggage is not located within 21 days. This time is reduced for travellers flying with Air Canada, who must file a claim if their luggage is not located within five days.

With regards to expenses for essential missing items during a trip, eight of the 18 airlines researched, including Delta Air Lines, easyJet, and Monarch, offer reimbursement for essential purchases such as toiletries and clothing, with the total reimbursement figure ranging from £50 for customers with Virgin Atlantic to up to £208 for customers travelling in First Class with SWISS Air.

For items lost on-board an aircraft, all airlines recommend that travellers contact the arrival airport's lost property department immediately. For items lost at London Heathrow's British Airways' lounges or on-board a British Airways flight arriving at Heathrow, travellers can search the online database, Bagport, for their lost items. Bagport can take between up to 48 hours to register lost items and once retrieved, the system will ensure the item is kept for three months. But travellers should bear in mind that Virgin Atlantic will destroy perishable items immediately, and charge £5-£20 for postage and delivery of lost property items. 

Regardless of which airline a passenger uses, it is recommended travellers keep valuables in their hand luggage or on their person at all times as airlines will not accept responsibility if valuable items are lost.

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British start-up tackles lost luggage challenge

A British start-up firm claims to have developed a technology that all but eliminates the chance of lost luggage from flights.

The Eviate eTrack, which has been developed by FastTrack Company in conjunction with partners including Air France KLM, is the first technology to link to existing worldwide travel systems, the companies claim. As a result, both the passenger and every airline worldwide knows where a bag is located.

The system also sends the luggage owner a message when the suitcase is on the baggage carousel, and notifies them if and when it is opened during a journey. The patented eTrack technology is the only tracking solution to meet all international air travel regulations, the company says.

The eTag is a digital baggage tag that allows passengers to check in at home, skipping long queues at the check-in desks at the airport. The eTag is only available in conjunction with participating airlines.
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