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Imagine misplacing your digital device on the plane or at the airport and then successfully tracking it at a presumably secure place at that same airport—only for the airline employee to tell you they can’t give it back unless you file an online ticket first. Well, that is the exact frustration facing one United Airlines passenger, who is still waiting to retrieve his iPad nearly a month after pinpointing its location.

Out of options and desperate for answers, he took to social media to complain about how a United employee at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) “refused” to return his lost iPad even though he was able to trace it there. The post went viral over the weekend, receiving nearly three million views, especially after United Airlines replied and told the passenger to delete it.

This follows a broader trend of passengers turning to social media to share their unusual encounters with the airline, much like a widely shared clip of a comedian calling out United for a flight attendant’s unusual gesture that ruined her belongings. Here is a closer look at how the iPad situation unfolded and why United’s response sparked such outrage online.

United Airlines Warns Passenger To Delete Post About Employee Refusing To Return His Lost iPad At SFO

On Saturday, @gucciricucci on X tagged United Airlines’ official account, asking them to give his iPad back after walking up to United’s employee at the “lost and found” desk at SFO Terminal 3, who “refused” to return it even after showing that his iPad was “right behind them inside the lost and found.” He also shared screenshots of the Find My tracker locating the iPad in that terminal, along with a “still searching” update to the online ticket they were told to submit.

“So I filed the ticket July 13th and here we are August 1st nearly a month later nothing has happened, as shown in the image I uploaded,” wrote the passenger. “This is absurd please give me back my iPad. Especially after I spend thousands on first class tickets for that flight.”

United Airlines immediately responded in the comments, within eight minutes after the post went live. We advise deleting this post immediately to protect your private information,” United told the passenger in the comments. “Please DM this personal information to us, and we’ll do our best to help. Thanks! The comment is currently marked as “damage control” in the community notes.

The passenger clapped back at United, saying, “There is nothing sensitive here don’t be silly.” The airline was likely referring to the online ticket screenshot, which features the passenger’s Report ID, description of the iPad, and a note saying that he left it on his UA 1723 flight “from Kona to SFO.”

However, UA 1723 only flies the opposite direction, from SFO to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

TheTravel reached out to United Airlines for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The passenger has not posted an update since the weekend either, fueling a social media firestorm from fellow travelers who are outraged by the carrier’s “inaction.”

Travelers Criticize United Airlines’ Response To Passenger’s Unreturned Lost iPad Complaint

The passenger’s post has received nearly 600 comments and nearly 3,000 reposts since Saturday, with most of them criticizing United’s reply and sharing their own nightmare stories of how the carrier handled their missing items. Several commenters even encouraged the passenger to file a police report. Here’s what travelers have said about the iPad incident:

Other travelers, however, believe that the passenger should show some “humility” after leaving his item on the plane. Someone who also left their iPad on a United flight and was able to retrieve it argued that the carrier’s “system works but may take some time.”

Both sides of the discourse highlight the tension between passenger expectations for the immediate return of their lost items and the carrier’s slower processing times. While you can see the real-time location of your lost device, the truth is that missing or left-behind cabin items go through a whole bureaucratic maze—from transfers to cataloging and storage before official return.

How United Airlines Handles Missing Passenger Item Cases

United Airlines does not have a traditional, physical lost and found desk at airports. Instead, passengers must file a report online and manage their claims digitally or through baggage service counters for immediate checked-bag assistance, though items left behind in the cabin still require an online ticket submission.

Additionally, United works with a third-party platform, Chargerback, to help process the lost item forms submitted by customers. While this does not inherently slow down the physical search, it can create delays in communication and reporting. The airline still handles the lost item requests and the actual search.

How To Report Your Lost Item To United Airlines

Reporting your lost item to United only takes three simple steps, but the search could take up to 30 days. It can be stressful, especially for high-value personal items like an iPad.

• Step 1: Fill out the lost item form.
• Step 2: Wait for a series of email updates after 2, 3, 15, and 30 days after filing.
• Step 3: United will look for your item based on the information you provided for 30 days.

United does note on its website that it does not help them when passengers send multiple emails about the same lost item, and that “patience and understanding are appreciated.” Once they find it, they will notify you directly by email or a call and send you instructions on how to claim it. Passengers are also responsible for covering the shipping fee to have the item returned.