Houston Airports Lost and Found team goes to great lengths to reunite passengers with items left behind, from scouring social media to ticket stubs, phone numbers and business cards
In the whirlwind of modern air travel, it’s easy for items to slip through the cracks. From forgotten phones to misplaced passports, Houston Airports Lost and Found at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) handle a staggering array of lost belongings.
“We see it all,” said Daniel Mendez, a Customer Service Representative at Hobby Airport Lost and Found. “From mobile phones and jewellery to the truly bizarre, like 50-inch TVs.”
Thousands of passengers pass through the terminals every day, each carrying a unique set of belongings. When items go missing, the Houston Airports Lost and Found team becomes the first line of defence in reuniting owners with their cherished possessions.
“We understand the stress of losing something important,” Mendez said. “Our goal is to make every effort to return lost items to their rightful owners.”
From the moment an item is turned in, Houston Airports Lost and Found begins a meticulous process of cataloguing and storing it. A detailed description is created and the item is securely held for 30 days. During this time, the team employs a variety of methods to locate the owner, including examining ticket stubs, phone numbers and even social media.
“We’ve used Facebook to track down passengers before,” Mendez said. “It’s amazing how often social media can help us reunite people with their belongings.”
While the work can be challenging, the satisfaction of reuniting a passenger with a lost item is a reward in itself. “Knowing that we’ve helped someone recover something important makes the job worthwhile,” said Mendez.
While the majority of lost items are relatively common – phones, wallets, keys – Houston Airports Lost and Found has encountered its share of unusual discoveries. From car keys to forgotten electronics, the airports have seen it all.
In Fiscal Year 2024:
- Hobby Airport received 1,587 items and returned nearly 80% of the items to their owners.
- Bush Airport received 4,542 items and returned nearly 60% of the items to their owners.
For those who believe they’ve lost an item at either airport, the process of recovery is straightforward. Visitors can inquire in person or by phone, providing a detailed description of the lost item and proof of ownership.