Travelers lose millions of dollars per year with lost and found items, and no one really cares
The need for a lost and found app. We’ve all been there. And truly, no one really cares, but you.
Lost and found app travel issues are a nightmare, if you have sentiments attached to the item. While waiting for your flight, you’re sitting at a bistro, enjoying the surprisingly delicious sandwich, sipping on the last few drops of your drink. You hear the announcement from the airline that the flight is delayed for 20 minutes; you order another drink, take off your headphones and start chatting up with another fellow traveler, going on a 6 month back packing trip in Mongolia.
As you’re sitting chatting up, talking about the beauty of Peru, adventures in Tanzania, and custom issues in Algeria, you realize your flight is about to shut the door. The gate is not too far, you grab your stuff and sprint!
Cruising at 35,000 ft, and suddenly you are looking for your headphones. Panic ensues. You know you used them at the bistro, before starting to chat with the backpacker.
As you were really looking forward for the noise cancellation feature, for the next 5 hours, onward to your connecting flight, you call the flight attendant! “Excuse me, I need a drink” . When you inquire about lost and found items, the flight attendant mentions she can’t help, because the lost item is in the airport. Her colleagues suggest you call the airport. Cheers, double scotch please!
You’ve arrived at your destination, enjoy your vacation
Returning home:
Sitting in the terminal, waiting for your connection, sans headphones; you start searching the internet. You look on Craigslist, but the creep factor turns you off. Go on Instagram and try a short post, you tag the airport and location. Now you wait, since you don’t have a lost and found app installed.
You check Instagram, nothing. Only a few likes from friends and some obscure Instagram user, wanting to sell you followers. “Thanks dude, really helpful, not!” A few FB groups accepted your membership, you try to post, but display algorithm takes weeks to learn who you are, where and who and where to show your post. Another FB didn’t accept you, because you don’t have unicorn flavored profile overlay. Whatever.
Sure your $200 headphone were cool, can be replaced with another $200, but they were a gift from your dad and you really cared about them.
5 Tips to help with lost and found while traveling:
1. Travel light, don’t over pack
- You don’t need 15 shirts on a 7 day trip
- Keep shoes to sane levels, for some girls 🙂
2. Take only essential items
- You don’t need a curling iron
- You don’t need that compass and sextant, you’re going to Rome for fuck’s sake
3. Stay organized
- Don’t pack in a hurry
- Pack them neatly
4. If you lose something, don’t panic
- Sky is not falling.
- Things can be replaced if not expensive.
- Growing map based community app
- Sentimental value is irreplaceable
- Works globally
- Easiest and centralized lost and found app