Have you actually lost your passport before while travelling?

[Beano]

Some time ago arrived at SYD Int and couldn't find my passport, a previous UK passport with NZ visa--- massive panic! Called the British consulate. No luck. Called again, yes, it had been found at a train station out west. Too far to go and get back before the flight left so stayed the night. My company was sympathetic.

 

[dairyfloss]

Only the once (so far). We were in Ireland for a friend’s wedding in Kilkenny, and had arrived a week or so earlier, to visit the west coast before road tripping back, stopping along the south coast.

At our last stop before the wedding, in a beautiful town called Ardmore, we were unpacking a few things, and my wife went to put the passports in the safe… only to realise that they were already in the safe… at the hotel we had stayed while touring the Ring of Kerry!

With a welcome party for the international guests on the next evening, I rang the hotel to confirm if they had the passports (which they did - thankfully the room hadn’t been used after us), and whether they could courier them to us in Kilkenny. No dice; apparently - would take too long. So, we had to then spend much of the next day driving back to Kenmare from Ardmore, and then from Kenmare to Kilkenny, arriving with about 45 mins to spare before the party started. And party we did, for the next couple of days, across the function and receptions, before heading up and flying out from Dublin.

And I reckon I now check the room safe about 5 times before checking out of any hotel, even if I didn’t use it. Better safe, than sorry, right?

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[RooFlyer]

That's true of most countries as long as you have some form of ID. But the trick is to get on a flight in the first place without a passport, either at check-in ( on-line doesn't need a physical passport) or at the gate.

Sure; I was thinking more of the case of losing your passport on the plane; but there is also a report of a drivers licence being accepted to board. As a passport is only a superior form of ID, it shouldn't be the be-all and end-all in case of an emergency.

 

[Beano]

Only the once (so far). We were in Ireland for a friend’s wedding in Kilkenny, and had arrived a week or so earlier, to visit the west coast before road tripping back, stopping along the south coast.

At our last stop before the wedding, in a beautiful town called Ardmore, we were unpacking a few things, and my wife went to put the passports in the safe… only to realise that they were already in the safe… at the hotel we had stayed while touring the Ring of Kerry!

With a welcome party for the international guests on the next evening, I rang the hotel to confirm if they had the passports (which they did - thankfully the room hadn’t been used after us), and whether they could courier them to us in Kilkenny. No dice; apparently - would take too long. So, we had to then spend much of the next day driving back to Kenmare from Ardmore, and then from Kenmare to Kilkenny, arriving with about 45 mins to spare before the party started. And party we did, for the next couple of days, across the function and receptions, before heading up and flying out from Dublin.

And I reckon I now check the room safe about 5 times before checking out of any hotel, even if I didn’t use it. Better safe, than sorry, right?

Cheers,
Matt.

I sometimes put some stuff in the hotel fridge but leave something hanging from the cupboard door as a reminder. Perhaps something similar could be done for the safe?

 

[flyingfan]

I sometimes put some stuff in the hotel fridge but leave something hanging from the cupboard door as a reminder. Perhaps something similar could be done for the safe?

I read a tip about putting something else you need and will notice if you don’t have it into the safe like a shoe. I did this and it saved me once!

 

[dairyfloss]

I sometimes put some stuff in the hotel fridge but leave something hanging from the cupboard door as a reminder. Perhaps something similar could be done for the safe?

It may help someone else... but as I alluded to, I'm now the opposite of forgetful when it comes to checking for things left behind in safes (in particular). Never again

 

[SOPOOR]

I sometimes put some stuff in the hotel fridge but leave something hanging from the cupboard door as a reminder. Perhaps something similar could be done for the safe?

In the past, I too have put stuff in very Obvious places such as the door handle

But i went straighr past it and forgot it!

 

[devlin]

I lost mine on the subway in NYC back when I was an ignorant 27-year-old girl on her first solo trip and had absent mindedly placed it in my back pocket. Go figure.

Happened to be catching the Bolt Bus to DC that day and walked straight off the bus to the Australian Embassy. Had an emergency passport within an hour. Staff were pleasant enough and I feel lucky it all turned out how it did. Lesson learnt.

 

[Beano]

I read a tip about putting something else you need and will notice if you don’t have it into the safe like a shoe. I did this and it saved me once!

That's a good idea. I must think of something I don't need during my stay but which I would really miss.

 

[tdimdad]

That's a good idea. I must think of something I don't need during my stay but which I would really miss.

Something like putting one of the hotel towels in your carry-on - and then trying to figure out when packing why on earth would it be there???

 

[OZDUCK]

In Hong Kong I boarded a CX flight on our way to Toronto and had my passport checked at the gate. When I sat down I couldn't find it. After running around like a fool looking for it my wife pointed out that I had dropped it in the footwell of my J seat. This only took about 5 minutes to sort out but I was very stressed out for that time.

 

[Flyfrequently]

In Hong Kong I boarded a CX flight on our way to Toronto and had my passport checked at the gate. When I sat down I couldn't find it. After running around like a fool looking for it my wife pointed out that I had dropped it in the footwell of my J seat. This only took about 5 minutes to sort out but I was very stressed out for that time.

Similar for me also @OZDUCK
Passport checked at DPS gate where they security check  again for LAG's.
You then go back to the holding pen before boarding.
Thought I put it in safely in my handbag but it slipped between cross body bag and self, dropping to the floor.
Interesting part, it was under my seat and no one (watching me search frantically or their face down on phones ) bothered to point out the bleeding obvious
Do understand those stress levels!

 

[Beano]

I lost mine on the subway in NYC back when I was an ignorant 27-year-old girl on her first solo trip and had absent mindedly placed it in my back pocket. Go figure.

Happened to be catching the Bolt Bus to DC that day and walked straight off the bus to the Australian Embassy. Had an emergency passport within an hour. Staff were pleasant enough and I feel lucky it all turned out how it did. Lesson learnt.

I was wondering how easy it is to get an emergency passport in a foreign port? A new thread perhaps?

 

[Himeno]

I've never lost my passport, miss placed it on occasion (putting it in a different pocket then I normally have it in, then get worried when it isn't where I thought it was)

One early trip, I was flying into SIN (QF from LHR). While getting ready for landing, I put my wallet in my pocket, which then slipped, unnoticed, out of my pocket and onto the floor under the seat.
I didn't find out until I had gone through immigration and collected my checked bag. I was looking for my wallet to exchange cash before exiting into the public arrivals area.
Couldn't find it anywhere, figured I'd left it on the plane and went back to immigration. They let me back into the transit area (with my checked bag) and held onto my passport while I went back to the gate and had them check around my seat while they were getting ready to board for the next sector.

 

[Blackadder]

Twice in the US , once left on a USAir flight in CLT where I disembarked, got to the terminal and realised I had left it on board. A mad dash back to the gate to speak to the gate agent, who contacted the onboard staff, who retrieved my passport.
The second time in HSV, staying with a friend and was looking for my passport only to discover it missing. Retraced my steps hoping to find it , and it had made its way to the security office at HSV.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

The worst, is that if someone takes the passport, if its dropped somewhere, still a loss, and a pain to get a replacement, or if you are on the plane and discover its "gone", then at the least you can "claim" Aust citizenship, at the immi counter of ABF, and they then have to do the hard yakka to check your identity.
If someone had pickpocketed your passport, tho, if it were to be me, haven't had it happen, "touch wood", but I would feel worst for myself.
If I had dropped it, I could call myself more than stupid, ie, blame myself, and maybe, not feel that bad, or "why me".
Only way to make sure the passport is with you at all times, is to (as I mentioned, still haven't found one, is an uncuttable lanyard pouch), or at the least a neck pouch with RFID.
Non cuttable lanyard string all the better.