Glass Eyes, Diamonds And Other Strange Things Travelers Leave Behind

Most passengers don’t even wait for the seat belt light to go off before jumping up from their seats and getting ready to disembark the plane, so it’s no surprise that in the hurry belongings often get left behind.

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You’re probably imagining that most of the forgotten items involve things commonly stowed in the seat back compartment, such as passports, books and cell phones — and you wouldn’t be wrong. But it seems many of our fellow travelers are also flying with some pretty strange cargo, at least according to a study by booking site Skyscanner, which rounded up the most bizarre things left behind by passengers on planes.

Some of the oddities forgotten on flights include underwear, handcuffs and bags of diamonds — all the kinds of things that would certainly have you questioning who you’re sitting next to. Animals also made the list, with parrots, frogs, falcons and even eggs forgotten by their owners. Other items we’re not sure how the owners walked off without include prosthetic legs and glass eyes.

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However planes aren’t the only place where travelers experience forgetfulness. Airport security is an all too easy spot to misplace belongings and while many fliers forget their belts and keys, others leave behind false teeth, wigs and adult toys. London City Airport said these made the list of strangest things left in the terminal, along with an artificial skull, signed blank check book and yet another bag of diamonds.

Hotels have also seen their fair share of wacky objects forgotten in rooms, including a showjumping horse, a life size cardboard cutout of a comedian and a wok (apparently the guest had filled the toilet with charcoal in the hopes of turning it into a barbeque).

Book A Night On An Airplane With AirBnB

Vacation accommodation website AirBnB has no shortage of unique places to stay, from a “boatel” aboard a converted ferry, to a private island in Fiji. For airplane nuts and those wanting the luxurious exclusivity of a private jet, AirBnB has a collection of airplane accommodations.

Accommodations range from a New Zealand two-unit motel inside a 1950s Bristol freighter plane (rates start at $180 per night, sleep in the cockpit or tail), to $10,000 for a night on a Gulfstream G5 jet in Beverly Hills (rate includes one hour of flight time and three hours of flight attendant service. Divide that by 18 passengers and that’s…still a lot of money, but a priceless experience. Don’t want to leave the airport? If you can find a flight into Teuge Airport in the Netherlands, you can stay aboard a former government plane, now fully tricked out into a private suite. If you’d prefer a more traditional place to stay, you might enjoy the Wine Country Airplane House in Sonoma county, which has not only an airplane tail on the front of the secluded house, but also a piece of the old Golden Gate Bridge.

Check out more unique AirBnB listings in their collection of wishlists.

Video Of The Day: Flughafen München, Lip Syncing

For those not fluent in German, Flughafen München means Munich Airport. And how does that relate to lip-syncing and travel? Well, roughly 200 employees at the airport got together to film an OKgo-esque video, in which they lip-sync to “Come Away With Me” by The Donots. Apparently everyone from baggage handlers to the CEO was involved in some capacity.

Would the pre-flight security process at your airport be less of a drag if you knew something like this was waiting on the other side of the metal detectors?

We’d love to feature your photos and videos on Gadling, so please add them to our Flickr Pool (with Creative Commons licensing!), tag @GadlingTravel on Instagram or email us at OfTheDay@gadling.com.

Food Trucks Head To … The Airport?

If you’ve picked anyone up from the airport in recent years, you may have waited for them in a “cell phone parking lot” located near the terminal. The lots help reduce congestion around terminal exits, as drivers only pull up to meet their passenger once they are outside. But now, the waiting lots might take on a congestion of their own.

USA Today reports that airports nationwide are inviting local food trucks to set up in these lots to appease the appetites of hungry folks waiting for passengers to touch down.

The trucks are said to “help reflect the flavor of the community,” according to Deborah McElroy, interim president of Airports Council International-North America. They have been met with enthusiasm from airport employees and waiting locals alike. San Francisco International Airport witnessed a Hawaiian food truck sell out in just 2 and a half hours, after going through 60 pounds of Kalua pork and 40 pounds of chicken.

As a local-food supporter (is enthusiast too strong of a word?), the idea of food trucks at the airport makes me anticipate my next trip even more. Unfortunately, for now, most of these trucks are not easily accessible by airline passengers due to their location.

Photo Of The Day: Pre-Flight Libations

Our friends at AOL Travel have covered the gamut the past few days with their Booze Week series. As they wrap it up, they have one final question for Gadling travelers. How many airport bars have you passed through before flights, on layovers and so on?

We’d love to feature your photos and videos on Gadling, so please add them to our Flickr Pool (with Creative Commons licensing!), tag @GadlingTravel on Instagram or email us at OfTheDay@gadling.com.