Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is making it easier for travelers to reunite with their missing belongings. And it’s just in time for one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. With holiday crowds approaching, the airport has introduced a new online lost and found system designed to simplify the process of reporting and recovering misplaced items.
According to the press release, the new system uses Chargerback. It’s a lost-and-found management platform that helps organizations track missing belongings and connect them with their owners. Instead of relying on traditional in-person inquiries, passengers can now submit a report online and receive updates as airport staff work to locate items.
How PHL’s new lost and found system works
The process starts with a simple form. Travelers who believe they left something behind at the airport can scan a QR code displayed throughout PHL. Or, visit the airport’s website to submit a lost item report.
Passengers will be asked to describe the missing item, including what they believe it was lost and where they last remember having it. Moreover, airport staff also use a detailed intake system to catalog recovered belongings. This allows Chargerback to help identify potential matches.
Once a match is confirmed, travelers can receive an email or text notification directly through a platform. From there, they can choose to have their belongings shipped back to them or arrange an in-person pickup.
According to PHL information Program Supervisor Louis Poinson, the platform’s self-service reporting, automated notifications and streamline shipping options are expected to make lost and found operations more efficient while improving the passenger experience.
What are the most commonly lost items at the airport?
If you’ve ever rushed through an airport terminal, you know how easy it is to leave something behind. According to PHL airport, bags account for approximately 32% of commonly misplaced airport belongings, followed by electronics (21%), keys (8%), and jewelry (7%).
Other frequently reported items include clothing, wallets, eyeglasses, and identification.
How to report a lost item at PHL
Travelers who have misplaced something at Philadelphia International Airport can submit a report through the PHL Lost and Found online form.
There are two important exceptions: Items left at TSA security checkpoints must be reported through TSA Lost and Found. While belongings left aboard an aircraft should be reported directly to the appropriate airline.
With the holiday travel season approaching, this new system offers passengers another way to take stress out of an already hectic airport experience. And if something goes missing along the way, getting it back may now be a little easier.
