Gatwick lost property is handled by the Excess Baggage Company. You report missing items online at lostproperty.org, rather than by phone or at a desk. Found items can take 24 to 48 hours to appear on the database, and Gatwick keeps them for up to three months.
If your item turns up, you pay a reclaim fee of £5, £15 or £25, depending on what it is. You can then collect it from the office or have it posted. Items left on the plane are a separate process, because your airline deals with those, not the airport. This guide explains which route applies to you, what it costs and how to get your item back quickly.
Which route applies to what you lost?
| Where you lost it | Who handles it | How to report |
|---|---|---|
| Anywhere in the North or South Terminal | Gatwick lost property office (Excess Baggage Company) | lostproperty.org |
| On board the aircraft | Your airline or its handling agent | Varies by airline (see below) |
| Checked bag didn’t arrive | Your airline | The airline’s baggage desk or claims process |
| On a train to or from Gatwick | The train operator | The operator’s lost property service |
Most delays happen because people report to the wrong place. For example, a phone left in a security tray goes to the airport’s lost property office, while a phone left in a seat pocket usually stays with the airline.
How to report lost property at Gatwick
Use the official site only
Gatwick’s own lost property page directs passengers to lostproperty.org, which the Excess Baggage Company runs. Several other websites use names and branding that look official but aren’t connected to the airport. If you arrived at a lost property page through a search engine, check that you’re on lostproperty.org before entering your details.
Give as much detail as you can
Gatwick matches found items against the descriptions people submit, so a vague report is much harder to match. Include:
- the terminal (North or South) and the area, such as security, a gate number, a café or the toilets
- the date and approximate time
- the brand, colour, model and any distinctive marks, cases or stickers
- your flight number, if relevant
For a lost phone, include the IMEI number if you can find it. Your network provider can tell you what it is. Rail operators serving Gatwick ask for it too, because phones are otherwise very hard to tell apart.
What happens after you report
Submitting an enquiry doesn’t mean the office has your item. Lost property staff only get in touch when they find a possible match. Online enquiries are processed between 08:00 and 16:00.
For airports, the operator estimates anywhere from two hours to five or six days to reunite an item with its owner, and longer at busy times. If you haven’t heard anything, keep checking your inbox and junk folder for a few weeks, as items can take time to be handed in.
Gatwick lost property fees
The reclaim fee depends on the type of item. You pay it before collection or delivery.
| Band | Fee | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Band A | £25 | Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, Kindles, jewellery, passports, suitcases, small bags |
| Band B | £15 | Clothing, wallets and purses, keys, ID cards, documents, shoes |
| Band C | £5 | Glasses, hats, scarves, umbrellas, books, blankets |
On top of the reclaim fee, storage is free for the first four days. After that, it costs £2 per day. If you’d like your item posted, delivery is charged separately.
Because storage builds up daily, reply quickly once you’re contacted about a match. Even a week’s delay can add a noticeable amount to what you pay.
How long Gatwick keeps lost items
Gatwick keeps found items for up to three months. After that, unclaimed items may be donated, recycled or disposed of. Three months sounds like a long time, but reporting early matters: the sooner your description is on the system, the sooner staff can match it when the item arrives.
If you’ve lost a passport, report it to HM Passport Office as well, especially if you have another trip coming up. Don’t rely on the item being found in time to travel.
Items left on the plane at Gatwick
Gatwick advises passengers to contact their airline about anything left on board. Different airlines use different lost property services, so check the correct contact for your carrier.
| Airline | Where to report items left on board |
|---|---|
| British Airways, TUI, Vueling, Norse, Swiss, Aegean | lostproperty.org |
| Ryanair, Wizz Air, Norwegian, TAP Portugal, Icelandair, WestJet | Skyfix’s lost item service |
| easyJet | Email lgwlostproperty@1stflight.co.uk |
| Emirates | Email lgwapt@emirates.com or lgwlostproperty@1stflight.co.uk |
| Delta | Delta’s NetTracer lost and found portal |
| Other airlines | Your airline’s own lost property process |
These arrangements can change, so check the list on Gatwick’s lost property page before you report. Have your flight number, date and seat number ready.
Checked luggage that didn’t arrive
A missing suitcase from the baggage hall isn’t lost property. It’s the responsibility of your airline. Report it before you leave the baggage hall if you can, and ask for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) reference.
Airlines apply strict deadlines to claims for delayed, damaged or lost bags. Our guide to lost or delayed baggage compensation explains what to do and the time limits that apply.
Lost something on the train to Gatwick?
Items found at Gatwick Airport station go to the airport’s lost property centre. Items left on a train are different, however, because the train operator deals with them.
Gatwick Express, for example, uses the Excess Baggage Company too. Its lost property office is at London Victoria, open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Report through the operator you travelled with, whether that’s Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink or Great Western Railway. Include the train time, the direction of travel and, for phones, the IMEI number.
How to get your item back
Collecting from the office
Gatwick’s lost property office is open from 10:00 to 16:00 every day, except public holidays, and staff can only return items during those hours. When you receive a match, you’ll get a reference number and collection details. Expect to be asked to confirm that the item is yours, so bring photo ID and anything that proves ownership, such as a receipt or a photo of the item.
If you can’t collect it yourself, ask the office whether someone else can collect it for you, and which documents they’ll need to bring.
Having it posted
If you’ve already travelled home, Gatwick can post your item to you instead. You pay the reclaim fee and any storage charge, plus a separate delivery charge. For many travellers, particularly those who live far from Sussex, posting is cheaper than making a special trip back.
Going back to Gatwick to collect
If you do go back in person, check the office hours before you set off, as there’s no one to hand items over outside 10:00 to 16:00. Drivers also need to budget for the airport’s forecourt charge. Our Gatwick drop-off charge guide explains how it works.
If you’re flying back through Gatwick anyway, you can combine the collection with your arrival. Tell us when you book your Gatwick Airport chauffeur transfer that you need to stop at the lost property office. We’ll then allow for it in your pickup time. Flight monitoring and meet-and-greet are included, so a delayed landing won’t cut into that time.
How to avoid losing things at Gatwick
A few habits reduce the risk at the points where items most often go missing:
- At security: check every tray before you walk away. Laptops, watches, belts and liquid bags are the usual items left behind. Our UK airport security rules guide explains what goes in the trays at each airport.
- At the gate: check for chargers, headphones and jackets before you board.
- On the aircraft: check the seat pocket and overhead locker before standing up.
- On your phone: add an emergency contact to your lock screen so a finder can reach you.
For terminal layouts, see our guides to Gatwick’s South Terminal and North Terminal. If you fly from other airports too, we also cover Heathrow lost property, Manchester lost property and Birmingham Airport lost property.
Book your Gatwick transfer
National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers between the Midlands and Gatwick in Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Every booking includes flight monitoring and meet-and-greet. If you need to collect a lost item while you’re there, tell us when you book and we’ll plan around it. Get a quote and book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Report your item online at lostproperty.org, the official service run by the Excess Baggage Company for Gatwick. Staff will contact you if they find a possible match.
Reclaim fees are £25 for items such as phones, laptops, passports and bags, £15 for clothing, wallets and keys, and £5 for smaller items like glasses and umbrellas. Storage is free for four days, then £2 a day.
Gatwick keeps found items for up to three months. After that, unclaimed items may be donated, recycled or disposed of.
The office returns items between 10:00 and 16:00 every day, except public holidays. Online enquiries are processed between 08:00 and 16:00.
Contact your airline, not the airport. Depending on the airline, that could be lostproperty.org, Skyfix, a dedicated email address or the airline's own portal.
Yes. After you pay the reclaim fee and any storage charge, the office can post the item to you for a separate delivery charge.
Not necessarily. Gatwick's own lost property page links to lostproperty.org. Check you're on that site before entering personal details.
