Left on the Plane: My Palm Treo 700p

I'd just landed at New York's LaGuardia Airport after a long week at CES—I was tired, cranky, and anxious to get home. If only I'd taken a last look at the seat-back pocket before I walked off the plane...

It actually took me a few days to realize my Treo 700p was missing; my iPhone is my everyday phone, and I only use my Treo for business calls and as a wireless modem on my MacBook Pro. Looking back, I remember futzing with it before takeoff on the plane back to New York, and I probably stuck it in the seat-back pocket in front of me...and left it there.

Leaving a gadget on the plane is getting to be a pretty common occurrence, especially as more and more of us juggle multiple devices while we travel. The New York Times had an interesting story about lost (and, as the story notes, rarely found) gadgets in planes, taxis, and hotel rooms, and I've even blogged about the plight of a Shiny Shiny editor who left her iPod, complete with 3,000 songs, on a plane in (you guessed it) the seat-back pocket. 

Unfortunately, the chances of getting my Treo back look pretty slim. I visited Continental.com and filled out a form with my flight number, seat assignment, and a description of my phone. The site says that Continental baggage agents will keep on the lookout for 30 days; if they find it, I'll get a call, but if not, I probably won't hear back.

Of course, I was also worried that someone might happen upon my Treo and start burning through minutes and plowing through my e-mail accounts (luckily, I don't have much in the way of personal documents on my phone). A quick call to Sprint eased my mind; the representative turned off my Treo's voice and Internet access, and I also learned that the phone hadn't been used since I'd lost it. Phew. That said, I'll have to continue paying my Sprint bill.

So, what's the moral of the story? Make sure to check that seat-back pocket (or back seat of the cab, or the drawers in your hotel room) for loose gadgets before you go on your way. If you've already walked off the plane and realize you've left a gadget behind, you'll have better luck if you're still in the security area, the Times notes; once you go past the security checkpoint, good luck getting back in. If you've definitely lost your phone, call your carrier and ask them to shut off your phone's voice and Internet service, pronto. And if you haven't lost your smartphone yet, engage the password lock (look under your security settings); that way, if you lose your phone, your private info will be (somewhat) protected.

Finally, there's the question of cell phone insurance—is it worth it? Depends; a $500 Treo might be worth the $5/month insurance fee, although as this MSNBC.com story notes, there may be a deductible ($50), and in the case of a lost phone, you might be facing a long wait between filing a claim and getting a replacement (which may be used or a different model altogether).

Anyone else out there lose a cell phone (or another gadget) on a plane? Tell us your story.