Lost and found: Qantas passenger slams airline over disappointing experience with missing item
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When it comes to air travel, we often think about the essentials: packing our bags, arriving on time, and making sure we have all our belongings with us when we disembark.
But what happens when something goes missing?
David, a resident of WA, lost his AirPods earlier this year while transferring to the international terminal at Sydney Airport.
‘The AirPods must have slipped out of my pocket when I sat down at the transfer section in T3,’ he said.
He tried reaching out to Qantas through the provided phone number listed on the airport website's lost and found section.
However, all he got was a recorded message instructing him to leave a message and that they would only call back if the item was found.
David expressed his disappointment, saying, You don’t even get to talk to a human or get any indication that they have heard your lost and found issue. What kind of customer service is this?’
Despite leaving a message, a month passed with no response from Qantas. David believed that nobody even listened to his message.
He pointed out that the entire time, he could have helped in locating the missing AirPods.
‘My iPhone tracks their location and shows me where they are,’ he said. However, after two weeks, the location stopped updating, indicating that the AirPods' battery had died.
Feeling let down by the lack of assistance from Qantas, David marked the AirPods as missing, hoping someone with an iPhone would contact him if they were found.
He criticised Qantas, stating, ‘That is all they had to do. I suspect they find lots of Apple products that have this feature and still don’t help people get their goods back.’
Fortunately, the story took a turn when David, unable to return to Sydney, vented his frustrations on
social media.
The power of community shone through as multiple people reached out to help. One good Samaritan in Sydney used the Apple feature, located the AirPods at T3, and returned them to David.
A happy ending, but one that came about through the efforts of strangers rather than the airline’s lost and found process.
Responding to the incident, Qantas said, ‘Hundreds of items are lost and found in the terminal and on aircraft every month, including about 100 pairs of AirPods, and our team works hard to reunite as many items as possible with their owners as quickly as possible.’
Several other travellers came forward with similar experiences, citing instances where their voicemails weren't listened to or where they had to physically visit the airport to speak to someone about their lost items.
Despite the challenges, some individuals acknowledged the difficulties faced by Qantas in managing such a large volume of lost items.
One person compared it to their own experiences with lost and found at a small bar/restaurant, emphasising the significant scale difference and the challenges it presents.
‘I can only imagine what a massive rectal pain it would be dealing, at scale, with Qantas customers,’ said the business owner.
This story serves as a reminder to keep a close eye on your belongings, especially small, valuable items like AirPods. It also highlights the importance of advocating for yourself and reaching out to the community if you find yourself in a similar situation.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Have you ever lost something on a flight or at the airport? How was it handled by the airline or airport staff? Share your stories in the comments below!
But what happens when something goes missing?
David, a resident of WA, lost his AirPods earlier this year while transferring to the international terminal at Sydney Airport.
‘The AirPods must have slipped out of my pocket when I sat down at the transfer section in T3,’ he said.
He tried reaching out to Qantas through the provided phone number listed on the airport website's lost and found section.
However, all he got was a recorded message instructing him to leave a message and that they would only call back if the item was found.
A pair of Apple AirPods that you may not even notice in your pocket can cost as much as 399 AU$. Image Source: Pexels / Dina Nasyrova.
David expressed his disappointment, saying, You don’t even get to talk to a human or get any indication that they have heard your lost and found issue. What kind of customer service is this?’
Despite leaving a message, a month passed with no response from Qantas. David believed that nobody even listened to his message.
He pointed out that the entire time, he could have helped in locating the missing AirPods.
‘My iPhone tracks their location and shows me where they are,’ he said. However, after two weeks, the location stopped updating, indicating that the AirPods' battery had died.
Feeling let down by the lack of assistance from Qantas, David marked the AirPods as missing, hoping someone with an iPhone would contact him if they were found.
He criticised Qantas, stating, ‘That is all they had to do. I suspect they find lots of Apple products that have this feature and still don’t help people get their goods back.’
Fortunately, the story took a turn when David, unable to return to Sydney, vented his frustrations on
social media.
The power of community shone through as multiple people reached out to help. One good Samaritan in Sydney used the Apple feature, located the AirPods at T3, and returned them to David.
A happy ending, but one that came about through the efforts of strangers rather than the airline’s lost and found process.
Responding to the incident, Qantas said, ‘Hundreds of items are lost and found in the terminal and on aircraft every month, including about 100 pairs of AirPods, and our team works hard to reunite as many items as possible with their owners as quickly as possible.’
A pair of Apple AirPods that you may not even notice in your pocket can cost as much as 399 AU$. Image Source: Pexels / Dina Nasyrova.
Several other travellers came forward with similar experiences, citing instances where their voicemails weren't listened to or where they had to physically visit the airport to speak to someone about their lost items.
Despite the challenges, some individuals acknowledged the difficulties faced by Qantas in managing such a large volume of lost items.
One person compared it to their own experiences with lost and found at a small bar/restaurant, emphasising the significant scale difference and the challenges it presents.
‘I can only imagine what a massive rectal pain it would be dealing, at scale, with Qantas customers,’ said the business owner.
This story serves as a reminder to keep a close eye on your belongings, especially small, valuable items like AirPods. It also highlights the importance of advocating for yourself and reaching out to the community if you find yourself in a similar situation.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Have you ever lost something on a flight or at the airport? How was it handled by the airline or airport staff? Share your stories in the comments below!
