Losing my iPhone at Fiumicino Airport

A moment I never thought would happen to me; losing my iPhone. Something I would dread to experience again…

Like many people today we carry our lives on our smartphones. We are so dependent on them for most of our daily tasks: phone calls, messages, email, notifications, banking, air and train travel, identification, etc. To make matters worse most of the world around you requires a smart device to actually get things done. What would we do without them?

This is why if your smartphone goes missing you are in a jam. The feeling of helplessness will overcome you, but, there is no place for panicking. A level head is required. As long as the smartphone is missing or lost and not destroyed there is always hope…

What happened to me basically boils down to absent mindedness. I left my iPhone at the Singapore Airlines check-in counter. I had placed it there while I was pulling out my passport. I had already done my check-in online the night before and was only at the counter to drop off my case and grab my boarding passes (one to SIN and the other to ADL). I then walked away not realising the phone was left behind on the check-in counter. I spent a moment to chat with the Singapore Airlines customer service officer (rep) and then moved to view some of the new check-in counters that replaced the old dark counters that made the place feel like the inside of a cave. I was last here about four years prior. I never thought for a moment about taking a few photos of those counters, although I did think about an article on the improvements in Terminal 3. If I had thought about this better I would have known my iPhone was missing. Tells you the state of my mind at that moment. Very stressed.

Then off to security and passport control. At security one takes all their carry-on stuff and places them in a tray. Again here I should’ve realised my phone was missing as I usually put my phone in the tray, but no. I had a lot of stuff in my backpack including an iPad, a MacBook Air and a further two iPhones. Took my watch off and my belt. All through the x-ray machine. It took a while and I thought, could there be an issue with something I packed? Anyhow no. I then went through the e-gate and into the duty free shopping area to Gate E21 where my flight was to depart from.

Since there was plenty of time I decided to go to the washroom. The one at the gate was being cleaned and a sign said the closest one was back at Gate E16 where I had come from. Again in the washroom it didn’t pass my mind the iPhone was missing. Only when I got back to the departure gate and looked for it I started to worry. I didn’t panic but I was seriously worried that in an hour or so I would be boarding and the phone would be gone if not forever.

I retraced my steps back to the washroom. Caught a cleaner at work and I asked him if he found an iPhone. He looked around and said nothing here, but he advised me to go to the information desk at the beginning of the pier, before the last duty free shops. I went there and explained to the lady at the desk I had lost my iPhone. I said there were two possible places where it could be: at check-in or at the security checkpoint. I was doubtful about leaving it at security as I recall taking all my stuff from the tray and couldn’t visualise putting the iPhone out, but I still mentioned it just in case. Of course this should’ve sounded alarm bells when I was there but as said my mind was elsewhere. Also the security people would’ve said something when retrieving the trays.

Anyhow, the lady called the Singapore Airlines check-in desk and lo and behold they said they had a smartphone there and asked what brand and model it was. They said, we’ll bring it to the gate at boarding time. I felt relieved when I heard this. I thanked her and went back to the departure gate, sat down and waited anxiously.

Close to boarding time three of the Singapore Airlines staff, two check-in agents and the rep approached the gate. One of the check-in agents a lady I saw earlier and the rep came towards me. I got up from my seat, the rep asked me some questions and pulled out the phone. It was mine. Face ID didn’t immediately engage so typed in my numeric password. The rep asked me who was sending me WhatsApp messages. I thought that was the case manager looking after my mum back home as she used WhatsApp, but in actual fact when checking it was my wife sending me iMessages. All good I had the phone and thanked them for bringing it to me. Someone checking in at the counter noticed it and gave it to the check-in agent. I think they had a fair idea it belonged to me and were relieved it was returned.

The take from this experience is to keep the mind focused and not get distracted, remember which documents you pull out from your carry-on and whether you actually need to show your online check-in on your smartphone, which wasn’t required. So my phone could’ve stayed in my bumbag (fanny pack). I did have a short chat to both the check-in agents on opposite sides of the baggage conveyor regarding seating. When I got my passport back and took possession of the two boarding passes that’s when I got distracted and forgot the phone on the counter’s edge. All this comes back to mind but it didn’t while I was there. Hopefully lesson learned.

I need to thank the cleaner at the washroom for pointing me in the right direction, the lady at the information desk for the call, the check-in agents I spoke to and the Singapore Airlines customer service officer Fabio, who I had met before nearly 5 years earlier at Fiumicino, for keeping my phone safe and for delivering it to me, and of course the passenger(s) who reported it.

If you have questions or need anything always speak to the staff at check-in or to the customer service officer or airline rep. They are there to make your flight experience the best. In fact Fabio called me over and got me to board earlier than expected as I was in the last group to board in Economy Class. He said, what are you doing there? Get on board. This made my day.

Note: What I didn’t do was check the Find My app on my other iPhones and Apple Watch. During my stay in Italy the phone I would take out with me notified me where the other devices were, back at the hotel. I guess I was focused on trying to talk to someone rather than check the app. I knew I had left my phone somewhere in the airport. It was just a matter of where. Anyhow Find My app has its use and I didn’t take advantage of it. For more info and how to locate a device with the app go to: Locate a device in Find My on iPhone or go to the Apple App Store. If you have an Android powered smartphone Google have a similar app, Find My Device, which can be found on the Google Play website: Google Find My Device.