With your carry-on luggage stored properly in the overhead bin, you settle into your seat and prepare to zone out for the next couple of hours by catching up on the last season of White Lotus. But wait a second. Your earbuds . . . they’re not in your backpack, where you’re positive you placed them before leaving for the airport. Did you leave them in a tray when you went through the security line? Will you ever see them again?
Whether you absentmindedly forget your iPad in the seat back pocket or your watch in the tray going through airport security, losing items in transit is a terrible feeling.
There’s no reason to admit defeat, though. Airlines and TSA are eager to help reunite you with your lost belongings. In fact, TSA estimates it recovers close to 100,000 lost items each year.
What to do if you leave something at the airport
Few people would say they relish going through the security checkpoint at the airport. After removing your shoes and belt, putting your laptop and electronics in a separate bin (for those who don’t have TSA PreCheck), and making sure you’ve finished the last drop of water in your water bottle, it’s always a bit of a relief to make it through the TSA screening process. And of course, that process varies at every airport, so you have to stay on your toes when navigating the different rules.
Before you can relax in the lounge or peruse duty free, you have to repack your belongings, checking to see you have your passport and any stray items that may have fallen out as the bin moved through the conveyor belt.
If you arrive at your gate and realize you left something at security—and you have time before boarding ends (a point for the argument of getting to the airport early)—return to the checkpoint and request to speak with a supervisor, says Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the TSA. She says, “If the item has been found, it can easily be returned.”
If, however, you don’t realize you’re missing something until after your flight takes off, Farbstein says the best thing to do is reach out to TSA through the Lost and Found page. Here, you’ll be prompted to enter the airport name or code. Depending on the airport, there may be a phone number to call or a form to fill out.
For items left behind at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, you’ll need to fill out a form, including the date and approximate time the item was lost, as well as a description of it. The more detailed, the better, says Farbstein. If it’s a phone, tablet, or laptop, you’ll want to provide the make and model and any distinctive traits such as the color, a description of the case, and even the lock-screen photo.
If you forget something on the airplane, you won’t be able to get back on to retrieve it—but the flight crew can often help you out.
Photo by Shutterstock
The TSA team will use the provided information and details to check if the item was left at the checkpoint. “If so, we’re pleased to make sure that the traveler can be reunited with their item,” says Farbstein. “This is one of those customer services that we offer that most travelers probably are unaware of.”
Items left behind at security checkpoints are held by TSA for a minimum of 30 days or until the item has been returned to its rightful owner. There’s no maximum amount of time TSA keeps items, but Farbstein says that teams will often hold on to higher-value items longer in the hopes that travelers might realize where they left them.
Items not claimed by their owners are either destroyed or, if deemed to have value, sold. And you might be surprised to hear where the money goes: According to the TSA’s FAQ page, “Money from the sale of all lost and found items goes to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and into a general fund used to pay towards the U.S. national debt.”
What to do if you leave something on the plane
If, immediately after disembarking, you discover you left your child’s favorite stuffed bunny on the plane, you won’t be able to return to the aircraft to retrieve it. You can, however, try to get a member of the flight crew to help. A Delta spokesperson told Afar that flight attendants and gate agents are happy to assist in cases where passengers realize quickly—that is, before leaving the gate area—that they’ve left something behind.
When you don’t know until it’s too late, then your best option is to consult the airline’s site, where you’ll be led to fill out a report for a lost item. This is the case with major U.S. carriers Delta, American, United, and JetBlue. Southwest passengers are instructed to notify a customer service agent before they leave the airport. Once back home, filling out an online report is protocol.
By providing your email, you can expect to be contacted if and when your item is found. United’s form includes a notice about shipping costs being the passenger’s responsibility, though in some cases, a no-cost pickup at the airport can be arranged.
You can also use the online form to report items you might have lost in the gate area. Thirty days is the standard amount of time the airline will search for your item before determining that it can’t be found.
Although it might require some patience and perseverance, tracking down your missing item is possible.
When in doubt, follow the guidance offered by Farbstein:
- If you left the item on a plane: Contact the airline.
- If you left the item in the airport terminal (restroom, gate area, restaurant): Contact the airport.
- If you left the item in a rental car: Contact the rental car company.
- If you left an item at a security checkpoint: Contact TSA.
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on May 12, 2025, with current information.
