Desperate for help - item left on plane

[Karmaisagod]

Hello. I left a small makeup case in a Ryanair plane yesterday morning after it landed at Birmingham airport from Barcelona. Its contents were of enormous sentimental significance to me - jewellery that had belonged to relatives who have since passed away.

I noticed this just as I was about to leave the airport and rushed back, then spent two fruitless hours waiting for airport staff to try and find it, but nothing.

I have left details with Lost Property, and have the link to check the list of items that have been handed in. I'm also in touch with Barcelona airport, where the plane returned to shortly after landing in Birmingnam, but nothing so far.

I am devastated. I feel so angry with myself for leaving this behind, and so heartbroken at losing the stuff. I can't sleep or stop crying.

Is there any advice or help anyone could give?

Do you know where you left it eg in the loo, in the seat pocket?

Is it worth a Facebook post on eg a Birmingham local page in case anyone picked it up?

Post on Twitter as well, you never know who will respond. Cleaners may have picked it up and put it somewhere safe. Fingers crossed.

If you are certain you definitely left it behind on the plane, and it’s not been handed into lost property, I would consider it to have been stolen, and report it to the police to see what they can do/suggest.

Post it on the Family Lowdown Fb group. It's huge and always has someone that works there

I had a similar occurrence with my reading glasses. I was still in baggage claim when I realised I’d left them on the plane seat, not even in the pocket.

I went immediately to customer services.

No, I couldn’t go back onto the plane to find them.

All I could do was fill in a lost property form but despite several follow up phone calls they were never seen again.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond.

@SheilaFentiman, I know exactly where it was - wedged between my seat and the window. I was about to put it back in my bag when I got sidetracked by my own thoughts, and in the rush to get off the plane I forgot all about it. I have relived this in my mind more times than is healthy.

I will definitely post on FB, both my own account and on this Family Lowdown group. I wasn't aware of it, @Dogmum6, so thanks for this.

@Shegotanology, would you @ the airline or the airport? My Twitter account has very few followers.

Do you think it would be useful to post this on AIBU, too? I am a bit worried about getting "this is all your fault" style messages. I am more than aware of this, and really not in a good place to hear it from strangers.

People don’t tend to steal stuff from planes or in airports because of drub smuggling. You would have to be mad to take something through customs.

Also, as it was between the seat and the window like that then it’s likely that nobody spotted it and took it as they exited so it’s most probably going to turn up I would have thought.

My friend’s son left a Nintendo switch in the seat pocket and she got it back after five days. That was Ryan Air.

Avoid AIBU, people will definitely try to kick you when you're down.

I hope the airline come up trumps for you.

Given where you left it, I think it’s unlikely another passenger picked it up. But it’s also possible the cleaners missed it on a quick turnaround plane. It may get found on a deeper clean.

Surely the airline staff/cleaners would find it, in case you were leaving something suspicious/ dangerous? Have you contacted the airport/airline again for lost property?

Yes, @londongirl12, I'm in regular contact with Lost Property at the airport. They give you this link of stuff that's been handed in (between yesterday and today, there have been 47 things, including several tablets and phones - the mind boggles), and if you see your item, you can claim it.

I'm asking Ryanair to ask the cabin crew, but they are refusing :-(.

@CrackOnThen , do you know how she discovered her item had been found? Was she checking on an online list of items handed to Lost Property, or did they contact her? And was it after 5 days, or does that include the time until she was able to go get it?

Just trying to measure my own hopes.

I would also contact Birmingham airport in case it’s been handed in there.

Also it possibly hasn’t yet been found by the cleaners. Hope it turns up

Well good luck OP. I had some of my grans jewellery stolen a few years back. Devastating. The sadness will stay with me forever.

I left my ipad in the seat flap in front of my seat. Realised just after I'd got off the plane. Immediately returned to gate where I was told I couldn't go back to get it and had to fill in a lost property form at the airport. I knew exactly what seat and where it was. It was never seen again. I was so cross because someone has clearly taken it. Sorry OP I'd assume it's gone forever.

I really hope you find it x

Thank you. This is what I'm bracing myself for. It feels like I may get over this, but will never heal from it. I had been looking forward to passing some of these things on to my DD and DDIL one day.

At least you were not to blame for a theft. I was simply a forgetful, distracted idiot.

@ToClimb , one of the many alternative scenarios I keep morbidly staging is one where I realise just before passport control. It is some relief to know it wouldn't have made any difference.

No, they can't let you back on the plane. Probably for security, but also, the cleaners are usually hopping on straight away.

Same to @Lostsadandconfused - sorry I had missed your post.

These things happen. Don’t blame yourself.
You are now in the hands of how honest our society is. Fingers crossed a decent person finds it.

It’s a nightmare when this happens. When we were getting off a plane a couple of years ago, I saw something on a seat and thought I’d recognise the family it belonged to and would catch up with them but didn’t like to take it in case I didn’t or in case it was something dodgy. I did see them in the passport queue and so asked if they had left something on the plane, at which point the dad went pale and said “my meds” and rushed back to see if he could get them but even he wasn’t allowed back on.
You have my sympathy. Planes are so crowded, there are little gaps & pockets, there is little light and then everyone is in such a rush to get off. TBH, I’m surprised only 47 things have been handed in!
I do think these things can take a while to work through the system so I am crossing my fingers for you

I left a bag on a Ryanair flight and got it back. Hope you get yours back too.