A cabin crew member removing a suitcase left behind by a passenger on a plane. Picture: Supplied
South Africans around the country are preparing for their yearly vacations booking flights, and accommodation and making lists of things not to forget.
Once passengers pass through the boarding gates and holiday mode kicks in, the chances of losing personal items whilst travelling increase.
LIFT conducted research and looked through its Lost and Found Index to establish what items are most commonly left on board and according to its data, some of the most commonly lost items include identity cards, bank cards, driver’s licences and even birth certificates.
The premium domestic carrier’s brand manager, Haydn Henning, said that while they found the usual suspects are the most commonly lost items, they had to ask the question of whether South Africans like spending time at Home Affairs considering the admin and time it takes to replace these items.
He added that since the airline launched in 2020, the most common item lost at 36 000 ft is ‘glasses,’ both specs and sunnies.
“A total of 212 pairs of glasses were left on board over the last 3.5 years. A close second was the ID card. In fact, 138 people left their sense of identity on a LIFT flight since we took to the skies,” said Henning.
He also revealed that other items frequently left behind include caps, jerseys, the odd belt, as well as earphones and that busy parents are also likely to leave behind children’s items, which might be things dropped when disembarking including toy planes, trucks and dolls, as well as quite a few individual shoes.
“Despite thinking that devices are closely guarded due to their high value and cost, passengers have left behind their iPads, cell phones and even Macbooks have been left on board. Luckily, in these instances, our crew managed to find, secure and help return these high-value items back to their owners,” added Henning.
He said that while some of the contents on their Lost & Found list do make for a good laugh, the stress and inconvenience of losing items can really dampen the joy of a holiday so it’s important travellers stay mindful while on their trip, and hold on to their belongings.
For those travelling this upcoming season, Henning offered on how to guard your valuables to ensure your holiday doesn’t need to divert to Home Affairs, or the nearest cell store for urgent replacements.
Thoroughly check the overhead compartment
When disembarking a plane be sure to thoroughly check the overhead compartment and stowage areas for any personal belongings.
When opening the overhead bins, please be cautious of loose items that may have shifted during flight. Check beneath the seats and do a mental check for any loose items you boarded the plane with
Invest in a travel wallet
A travel wallet is very useful to have, allowing travellers to keep passports, birth certificates, currency or even boarding passes safe and compact in one spot.
Avoid carrying loose items
Passengers should avoid taking too many loose items, or taking too many items out of hand luggage while travelling. The more you unpack, the more you have to keep track of. Having one bag with a good amount of compartments could be helpful.
Label items
Clearly labelling items is never a bad idea, and adding a phone number is an even better idea.
Use tech to track your valuables
These days, trackers like ‘Apple Air Tags’ can be useful backup tracking devices for high-value items like laptops.
“Despite best efforts, we understand that passengers might still leave something behind - if a passenger does lose something on one of our flights we encourage them to get in touch with our LIFT support team as soon as possible,” said Henning.