To be utterly confused about couple who lost their passports on a plane?!

[Eastie77]

Just reading the story all over the news about the couple who had to return to the UK 30mins after arriving in Greece because they lost their passports on a plane. I'm truly baffled. They put both passports in a seat pocket, forgot about them and disembarked on arrival in Greece. They realised within 2 minutes after leaving the plane but were not allowed to re-enter so cabin crew searched the 'entire plane' and failed to find the passports.

There must be more to this than meets the eye but I can't work out what. Clearly they had the passports at some stage or they wouldn't have been able to board in the U.K. but how can they have disappeared in 2 minutes?!

This happened to my son. He put the 4 passports on the seat while lifting the hand luggage up. he spent the whole flight frantically looking for them before someone admitted " accidentally " picking them up

naggingmum that looks amazing!

Somebody stole them: DH left a shopping bag with 3 pairs of brand new duty free sunglasses on a flight to Canne and realised literally immediately we disembarked, he also wasn't allowed back through and apparently the cabin crew 'searched the entire plane' He never got them back and I would imagine a similar thing has happened with the passports, someone's pocketed them.

It is unlikely that UK citizens holidaying in Greece would (in reality) be deceitful illegal immigrants, but.....many airports just disgorge the incoming passengers to a common "Arrivals Area".
It is frequent that some people entering this Arrivals Area have actually come from somewhere else than the place they claim to have actually embarked from. Often from a country that is not very strict about examining Travel Documents-or where a simple bribe will get you through.
It is in the interest of such dishonest people to refuse to say where they have come from-or claim to have come from a desirable location like the USA. Nobody can tell the truth, since they have destroyed or hidden whatever documents originally got them on the 'plane.
We can all see why some Countries are very strict about this kind of thing-especially Greece, which has a horrendous Illegal Immigration problem.
I once worked at a large UK airport, and had cause to search various locations within it. We found enough "torn-up", hidden travel documents to fill a bin-bag every week.

This might sound a bit dopey but when the passports are sold what are they used for?

Yes @Notasgreen! Me too!

No chance the cabin crew checked all the seat pockets.
And they could easily have been stolen.
The story holds up, as you can see from other posters. They made the mistake though - don’t know what they think they’re entitled to compo for?!

DH left his wallet in the seat pocket of a plane after buying some drinks. We didn’t realise until later in the holiday when we ran out of cash, but the card had meanwhile been used in a petrol station back home (this was before pin nos, just signatures). Some airline staff do indeed theive from planes, unfortunately.

Thieve!

I left my purse with money and driving license in it on an internal Oz flight. Friend I was staying with was a regular flyer and said it would be handed in. I phoned and it had! He popped into the airport and picked it up. Super happy!

This happened to my friend, but with an iPod.

I imagine it’s not uncommon, and an unscrupulous cabin crew member could easily get into the habit of doing a quick seat swipe and pocket.

But to put something as important as your passport there, and then forget it, is just plain daft.

Zombie thread!

You can't be too careful with passports, they should never be put in seat pockets. My guess is they put them in there with other stuff like rubbish and then they got thrown in the bag when the cabin crew came round with it.

Fly on Ryanair.They don't have seat pockets!

My DD works as an aircraft cleaner and in the past 6 months she has found something on almost every shift she has worked including: passports, iPads, iPods, mobile phones, wallets and car keys together with toys, books, jackets etc. She tells me the items are often in the pocket of the seat in front and she always hands them in. I don’t think passengers are allowed back onto flights for security reasons as the flight is then checked for devices. I think we must become a bit disorganised/forgetful when we travel and do things we wouldn’t normally do. When I gave my DD a lift to the airport for her interview I parked in the airport car park and found a bank card in car park pay machine....

It’s bizarre, I did lose our passports and boarding passes in the airport once. Stuck them inside a book in WH Smith, I had been browsing the shelves for one to take on holiday. By some stroke of luck someone picked up the same book and they fell out. Queue our names being called over the tannoy, just as the tears and snot started!Puting them inside a random book in W H Smith is even more bizarre!

It’s bizarre, I did lose our passports and boarding passes in the airport once. Stuck them inside a book in WH Smith, I had been browsing the shelves for one to take on holiday. By some stroke of luck someone picked up the same book and they fell out. Queue our names being called over the tannoy, just as the tears and snot started!

Putting them inside a random book in W H Smith is even more bizarre!

(Sorry bold fail on first post).

Also, I've forgotten something on a plane before within minutes of leaving and was able to go back and get it so am surprised the cabin crew refused to allow them back on*
How lo g ago us it since they let you back on. I left my glasses on board about 2 years ago and the crew were adamant thst could not go on. I had to wait at the bottom of the steps and the crew went to retrieve them.

I'm curious to know what naggingmum5 posted to bump this zombie thread, which was then deleted, but then a subsequent poster said looks amazing!

Blimey... cabin crew don't come out of this thread smelling of roses!

My dh left a whole small case on board. Realised at the baggage carousel . They let him back on the plane no prob

@LemonRedwood

It was a link to her product which was a traceable passport holder

Yes me too @LemonRedwood!

Am I the only person who had massive paranoia about my passport when travelling?? I hold it in a white knuckled grip whenever it has to be shown, then immediately zip it away into my special ‘documents pocket’ in my hand luggage, I will then panic and check every 10 minutes or so that it is still definitely there and I didn’t accidentally throw it away anywhere...

Not just me then

Thanks DropZoneOne