Passport stolen on a plane - is this possible?

[Timsboot]

Last week I received a panicked call from a friend of a friend (person A) who had just landed at BKK for the start of a 2 week TH holiday. Somewhere between boarding their flight in Dubai and getting to immigration at BKK this person's travelling companion (person B) had lost their passport. Disaster. BKK and EK staff were great. EK had an engineer dismantle the business class seat. BKK sent people to look around the air bridge. But nothing. 5 hours later and person A passport was back on a plane and headed home. When person B arrived at my place she showed me a photo of the two of them sipping champagne in J just before take off. Right there next to person B in the photo was person B's passport sitting on the arm rest. Given that the passport was not found in the seat nor on the air bridge it raises a question - is it possible that the passport was stolen mid flight? Has anybody out there in AFF land heard of this before?

Oh - and second question. What would you do as person A? Continue on your holiday solo or return with person B? Note - A and B are friends not a couple.

 

[harvyk]

Well it's certainly possible, passports are valuable documents and airplane cabins are hardly secured zones. Furthermore there have been cases in the past where people have had valuables stolen on a flight, so whilst it would be certainly rare, it's not entirely impossible.

Also I'd continue on my travels. Suxs for person B, but hardly a reason why I should cut my holiday short. (Of course if person B was the missus and not just a friend, then I'm on the plane back home right next to her)

 

[UP4014]

I keep my passport on my person when on a plane, they are pocket sized after all. (I only use the PJ top half and wear my jeans for those who need to know:shock

Would I keep going, possibly yes and my friend can catch up a week later then they get their replacement.

Matt

 

[boomy]

Extremely rare but possible. BKK is notorious for passports trading, real and fake. If it was placed within eyesight from other pax it could definitely be stolen while person B was sleeping or not attending their seat.
To answer the second question, it really depends how close the relationship is. If it would happen to a really good friend I would feel bad to continue the trip but if it's just another mate then I would go solo.

 

[v8Statesman]

You say the photo shows person A's passport but it was Person B that had it lost. I fail to see the connection.


Oh and bye bye B, I'm enjoying the holiday alone.

 

[Timsboot]

You say the photo shows person A's passport but it was Person B that had it lost. I fail to see the connection. .

thanks - have edited. Got my A's and B's confused

 

[DC3]

For an international traveller, the passport is the thing that you need the most. And the above example is a reminder.

Sorry to hear about the messed-up travels, but if the passport is lost/misplaced, the news won't be good. Even obtaining a replacement document overseas is going to be a hassle, or impossible at worst.

 

[Denali]

I would have continued with my holiday and if I was the person who lost their passport, I would have told the other person to continue the holiday without me. No reason for both of us being screwed.

 

[Hvr]

I'm with the rest of my fellow AFFers, stuff happens and I'm continuing on my own.

My passport lives on me when I travel especially on the plane. I have a PacSafe over shoulder carrier that holds a passport and small amount of cash etc. No matter what it stays on me even when I sleep on the pane.

 

[cmon0005]

I'm with the rest of my fellow AFFers, stuff happens and I'm continuing on my own.

My passport lives on me when I travel especially on the plane. I have a PacSafe over shoulder carrier that holds a passport and small amount of cash etc. No matter what it stays on me even when I sleep on the pane.

Me too, to me my passport is the most important thing on me whilst travelling, with cash and credit cards being 2nd, followed by phone 3rd.
Passport stays in my pocket all the time when flying or in a bag held close to me.
My wife had her phone stolen from SIN airport a few years ago, she was traveling by herself and was using one of the fun stations (drawing station) in the middle of the terminal, put her phone down in front her for seconds looked down and it was gone.

Safe travels!

 

[Sethor]

I'm with the rest of my fellow AFFers, stuff happens and I'm continuing on my own.

Even if it was the wife/partner?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Presumably person A and B had to fill out their landing forms for bangkok? Distributed during the flight. Do we know when they filled those out in order to establish the point at which the passport was last seen?

 

[Hvr]

Even if it was the wife/partner?

I'm single for a reason. This may be the reason.

 

[JessicaTam]

My passport comes out for processing at immigration/customs and then away until next time. If I need to look up the details* for filling in paperwork on the plane, I use the details saved in my phone.

*Hilarious, I know!

 

[v8Statesman]

My passport comes out for processing at immigration/customs and then away until next time. If I need to look up the details* for filling in paperwork on the plane, I use the details saved in my phone.

*Hilarious, I know!

I have all my passport details memorised.

 

[GeraldG]

A few month back some passengers have valuable stolen on silkair flight from China to sin.

 

[knasty]

I have all my passport details memorised.

I agree. There is not much to remember. Passport stays in the pocket from last security check upon departure ti Customs on the other side.

 

[TomVexille]

Definitely possible. Plenty of cases where valuables have been stolen out of bags in overheads, so a passport sitting in the open is an easy target.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Theft of valuables seems a good reason why passengers should be banned from using WCs in different cabins, or from bringing guests or swapping seats with those in different cabins.

 

[Sdtravel]

My passport goes in my travel wallet / pouch once i have filled in all the forms.
It then goes into my back pack which i then have a travel lock i use to keep it closed and then into the overhead

Makes it an effort if i ever want to get anything out of the bag, but i know if someone wants to get something out of it they have to first open the overhead locker and then stand there for a while trying to get into it.

Sad news but i guess it dos happen.
There was that movie "The Jackal" where Bruce Willis's character stole someones passport from an airport lounge. Terrible analogy but you can see the reasons. Clean identify ect

Unless i was super close to someone like they were my partner i would probably continue on (although i dont know who i would travel with that wasnt a really close friend so...).
Its a lot of money to travel overseas and i would have booked and prepaid heaps in advance. You said they were in business so that got be to come highly expensive trip.