I ARRIVED in Changi Airport from Hokkaido via Thai Airways on Dec 26, after transiting in Bangkok.
The next morning, I realised I had left my iPad mini in the plane's seat pocket. I called the Thai Airways' office in Bangkok and was advised to contact Sats, the ground handling agent at Changi.
That day and the next, I tried calling Sat's Lost and Found number but was told to leave a voice message, with a promise that someone would return my call within two hours.
I received no return call for more than 24 hours, so I sent an e-mail on Dec 28, but again there was no reply.
I went to Changi Airport on Dec 30 to make my inquiry at the Sats office, but the two officers there said there were no records of any recovered iPad in their system. They told me all items recovered by ground handling staff would be declared to Sats before being handed over to the respective airline.
It was only on my insistence that the officers called the Thai Airways office in Terminal 2. To our surprise, the airline informed us it had my iPad.
While I am happy to have recovered my iPad, I am perplexed by the convoluted process.
Can the authorities explain if there are procedures to ensure items left on planes are properly accounted for, and that there is an effort to contact the owners?
Sats should also explain how my iPad failed to show up on its Lost and Found reporting system.
Having proper lost and found processes is important in order to preserve the world-class reputation of our airport.
Judy Tan Wan-Ju (Ms)
The next morning, I realised I had left my iPad mini in the plane's seat pocket. I called the Thai Airways' office in Bangkok and was advised to contact Sats, the ground handling agent at Changi.
That day and the next, I tried calling Sat's Lost and Found number but was told to leave a voice message, with a promise that someone would return my call within two hours.
I received no return call for more than 24 hours, so I sent an e-mail on Dec 28, but again there was no reply.
I went to Changi Airport on Dec 30 to make my inquiry at the Sats office, but the two officers there said there were no records of any recovered iPad in their system. They told me all items recovered by ground handling staff would be declared to Sats before being handed over to the respective airline.
It was only on my insistence that the officers called the Thai Airways office in Terminal 2. To our surprise, the airline informed us it had my iPad.
While I am happy to have recovered my iPad, I am perplexed by the convoluted process.
Can the authorities explain if there are procedures to ensure items left on planes are properly accounted for, and that there is an effort to contact the owners?
Sats should also explain how my iPad failed to show up on its Lost and Found reporting system.
Having proper lost and found processes is important in order to preserve the world-class reputation of our airport.
Judy Tan Wan-Ju (Ms)
