My family and I recently returned from an epic Christmas/New Year’s trip on January 7. We flew eight times, visited four countries and ended our three-week adventure in Las Vegas to attend a media dinner at CES (our kids were even invited!).
Since we had arrived the day before from Florida, the kids were badly jet lagged and woke up super early. Our American Airlines (AA) flight home to L.A. wasn’t until noon, but I said to my wife, “Do you want to try to get on an earlier flight and go home?” She said yes.
I checked online and saw AA had one earlier flight to LAX at 7:49 a.m. It was already 5:45 a.m. I called American and was told same-day changes can no longer be done over the phone and must be made in the app or on AA.com. I quickly made the change for free (I have Platinum Pro elite status) and told my wife we needed to hustle.
She jumped out of bed, quickly packed our three suitcases (yes, three!), got the kids ready and we raced to the airport, arriving at 6:30 a.m. We checked our bags and zipped through security thanks to CLEAR and TSA PreCheck (though the regular line didn’t look bad either).
After our 43-minute flight, just as we were about to walk off the plane in L.A., Natalie asked, “Where’s our black backpack?”
We travel with a backpack that contains a change of clothes (and bathing suits) for everyone in case someone throws up, spills a drink or an airline loses our checked luggage.
That’s when I realized I made two rookie mistakes.
First, in the mad scramble to leave, I didn’t account for every bag at each point. We all had backpacks and my wife and I also had work bags. Second, I didn’t double-check that every bag had an AirTag inside. I assumed my wife had slipped one into the backpack and she assumed I had.
The good news about being a mad documenter is that I had tons of photos. After reviewing them, I concluded I must have left the backpack at security (photo above), but I couldn’t be 100 percent sure since there was no AirTag in it.
BTW: Apple just released second-generation AirTags this week and they cost the same as before: $29 for a single AirTag and $99 for a four-pack. The first-generation AirTags are still available for $69.99 for a four-pack and $25.99 for a single. EDITOR’S NOTE: These prices are accurate at the time of this publication but are subject to change.
On the way to our Lyft, I called Harry Reid International Airport’s Lost and Found (702-261-5134). The agent said I needed to call back the next day because it can take 24 hours for lost items to be delivered and inventoried. She also told me to file a lost-item report online, which I did.
I called again the following day and still nothing.
They said they would email me if it turned up. Over the next few weeks, I kept receiving weekly emails from both the airport and American Airlines saying nothing had been found. I figured either someone swiped it (unlikely) or it would eventually end up at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama.
On February 2, I decided to call one more time. Good thing I did.
The agent told me they had actually emailed me on January 13 saying the backpack was found, and that items are only held for 30 days. In five more days, my bag would have been gone for good.
She resent the email, which gave me the option to pick it up or pay for shipping. The cheapest shipping option was $42.37. Even though it wasn’t the fastest method, it arrived the very next day, boxed up with everything intact.
I asked the agent for her best advice for travelers who lose something.
“File a report immediately,” she said.
She also shared some of the strangest items they’ve found: an urn (never picked up), a prosthetic eye (also never claimed) and even a prosthetic finger.
Good to know about Harry Reid International Airport Lost & Found:
They do not accept:
• Personal hygiene products (including pillows and blankets)
• Food and beverages (perishable items)
• Water bottles and hydro flasks
• Hazardous materials such as flammable liquids and gases, chemicals and batteries (including butane/propane canisters and hoverboards)
• Tobacco, cannabis and vaping items
• Weapons, including camping knives
• Oxygen tanks
• Biohazard materials
If an item was left onboard an aircraft, contact the airline directly.
To verify whether an item lost within the past 30 days has been located, click “Submit a New Lost Item Report.” Reports are kept in the system for 30 days and there is no cost to submit.
Most found items must be claimed within 30 days or they are disposed of. The Department of Aviation is not responsible for items lost or damaged in transit.
Lost & Found locations:
Terminal 1: Pre-security, Level 2, above ticketing/check-in
Terminal 3: Level 2 near international check-in, across from Door 47
