I have to admit one of the worst feelings in the world while traveling: realizing you’ve left something valuable behind on the plane.

For me, it was my work laptop.

I was walking down the jet bridge at Chicago O’Hare after a flight from Rome when it hit me - my backpack felt lighter than usual. This is when a sudden, sinking feeling set in. I instantly knew what had happened: I’d stowed my laptop in the seat pocket and left it behind. Ugh!

My first instinct was to turn around and head back to the plane. That didn’t work. Once you exit the aircraft, you’re not allowed to reboard. But here’s the good news - and something every traveler should know, you can ask authorized airline personnel to retrieve an item for you.

I explained what happened, gave them my seat number (4A), and a kind flight attendant went back to retrieve it. A few minutes later, my laptop was back in my hands. Crisis averted. Everything I had was on that computer. Whew!

If this happens to you, here’s what to do:

• Still in the terminal? Contact airline customer service immediately. They may be able to alert ground staff - especially if you know your seat number.
• Already gone? Visit the airline’s Lost and Found page as soon as possible. Look for the option to report items left onboard, in gate areas, or airline lounges. Submit the form to receive a claim number (usually stays open for about two weeks).
• Items truly lost (like a phone, passport or earbuds)? Check the credit card you use to pay your monthly bill. Some cards offer lost or stolen item coverage as a built-in benefit for situations just like this. A good card to pay your phone bill just for this purpose is the Capital One Venture X cards or the American Express Platinum cards which offers up to $800 per claim. 

Hopefully you’ll never need this advice - but if you do, acting quickly can make all the difference.

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