This Is the Most Common Item Travelers Leave Behind in Airports

Traveling can be chaotic, especially if you’re traversing through some of the world’s busiest airports. So it’s absolutely understandable to have a momentary lapse in memory and forget something at airport security — or even leave your luggage behind. And if you do leave your bags at the airport, know that you’re not alone. In fact, according to the 2023 Unclaimed Baggage Found Report by Unclaimed Baggage, a store that re-sells lost luggage, some two million items were left behind last year. And a large majority of those items were … intimate … in nature.

According to the report, the No. 1 item found in left-behind luggage was “undies.” And if you watched one of Travel + Leisure’s latest reels, you’d know that it’s common for people — even professional travel writers — to overpack on underwear. It was followed by “shoes,” “tablets and e-readers,” “t-shirts,” and “books,” rounding out the top five. “Blouses,” “blue jeans,” “headphones,” “dresses,” and “cellphones” rounded out the top 10. 

And while these are all pretty commonplace items, the report revealed people left some pretty wild things behind too. That includes the most expensive things left behind like a 14-karat gold and diamond ring appraised at $37,050, a Birkin 25 Bag Rose Azalee Swift Tote appraised at $23,500, a pair of Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 Mids valued at $12,000, and a silk-blend Givenchy gown valued at $9,990. 

As for the “most fascinating” things left behind, the team ranked “two live snakes” at number one, followed by a “voodoo box with the person who opened the bag’s name on the bottom,” not one but two Hermes Birkin Bags, a 49-key Keytar synthesizer, and a 13.3’ women’s vaulting pole.

There are also some major trends in which brands get left behind the most.

“Though we’d imagine someone would keep a pretty tight grip on their precious Stanley, the Stanley Cup still ended up fourth on the list of the most left-behind water bottles this year,” the findings revealed. “Yeti took the lead followed by Hydro Flask.” The findings also noted that LuluLemon won the “most frequently unpacked athletic brand by a landslide,” and the Nintendo Switch was the No. 1 unclaimed gaming device this year.

And the most common shoes? That goes to Nike. “By, like, a lot. Nike was the most commonly found shoe for men, women, and children and made up roughly 14% of all shoes we unpacked this year,” the team said. “Interestingly, according to our authentication team, we saw a huge decrease in Yeezy’s, likely due to the brand’s recent public controversies.” 

The best part? You can buy all this lost luggage right on unclaimedbaggage.com. Because, as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Even if it is lost undies — which, by the way, the team promises it washes.