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The most bizarre item people have left at airports across the world

It’s 2022 and air travel appears to be back on the cards. With millions of people rushing to get on airplanes globally every year, it is not surprising many objects end up in the ‘lost and found’.

According to car rental and airport transfer experts at Stressfreecarrental.com, there are some truly bizarre items that have been left at airports.

Luggage with sun hat placing in front of hotel lobby isolated over hotel reception blurred background
There have been some pretty strange things left at airports around the world. Photo: Getty

From a karaoke set and bongo drums in Australia, some rare Rhino beetles left on a plane in America, which were found and returned to the sender a few weeks later - but had sadly died during that time - a toilet seat complete with the cistern in the UK and… drumroll please….

a 15kg boulder which a tourist unsurprisingly had rejected by security chiefs in Ireland.

Surely Paddy couldn’t fit that in his backpack.

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But what about the most likely items to be forgotten during a long or short haul flight? The experts have come up with a guide to ensure your most-needed possessions don’t end up in a lost and found somewhere.

"With a plane to catch whether for business or pleasure, everyone travels with belongings and sometimes things can go missing and end up in lost property," a spokesperson for Stressfreecarrental.com explains.

"Our guide highlights some of the most common items which are lost with some handy tips on ways to keep them safe, or should they go missing, to enable them to be more easily identified and returned to you following your journey.”

lost luggage
And things cannot be held forever in the lost and found. Photo: Getty

Top tips to keep your belongings safe

Luckily, there are ways to keep your property safe on your travels.

It's important to keep these handy tips in mind as airport lost property cannot be held forever, with people usually given a certain time period to make contact and claim before items have to perhaps be disposed of, or auctioned and sold for charitable purposes.

Keys: Keep a spare set of keys at home or with a relative or friend in case you lose them, to enable you to have a fall back option if necessary. Key finder apps are also now popular for travellers.

Mobility aids: These are some of the most common items to be mislaid, which is also quite surprising when they are so necessary for people who use them. Such items include walking frames and canes. It is useful to imprint your name and address on these items should the worst happen.

Clothing accessories: Sunglasses and belts go missing in abundance at airports. It may be that travellers have been rushing to get changed while waiting for their flight and accidentally leave these sorts of items behind. Using lanyards for sunglasses can keep them safe, while it is a good idea not to remove belts from clothing, as they are less likely to get mislaid.

clithes suitcase
Plenty of clothes end up being left at the airport. Photo: Getty

Luggage: Smart luggage trackers which you can use on your mobile phone are helping to reduce the amount of luggage that goes missing each year - ensure to download such an app on your phone to give you a better chance of tracing your luggage if misfortune occurs.

Coats and jackets: Attach a business or ID card to an inside pocket of your jacket so people can identify the owner if it goes missing. Textile stamps which have permanent ink are also a good idea, but you might want to seek advice from a dry cleaner or similar profession on how to use safely without damaging the clothing in the first place.

Electronics: Laptops and mobiles can go missing very easily in customer waiting areas, so it is a good idea to attach ID to your device where possible. Keeping serial numbers of gadgets before they go missing can also speed up how quickly you are reunited with your lost items.

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