Have you ever deboarded a plane just to remember you left behind your AirPods, phone, wallet, passport or another important item? Despite your best efforts to make sure you had everything, you left it there and now there’s a problem on your hands.

At first glance, the solution to this problem might seem easy — just go back, retrieve your item and continue on with your day. Well, when it comes to airplanes, that’s not allowed.

Although it might seem a little absurd that you can’t go back even if you stepped off the plane mere seconds ago, there are valid reasons for this rule.

We spoke with flight attendants about why you can’t reboard a plane if you’ve left something behind and what to do if it happens in the future so you can get on with your day as quickly as possible.

You could potentially cause a chain of delays

Although it may be a hassle for you not to be able to simply go back on the plane and grab what you left in the seat pocket, there are legitimate reasons you can’t.

“You can’t reboard due to safety and security of the aircraft and the remaining passengers and crew, as well as timeliness for the next departure,” said Valerie Fraser, an in-flight crew member for JetBlue. “Usually, turns on an aircraft are very tight so letting customers back on could cause delays.“

Adding to this point, Kari Pelzer, a flight attendant who has been working for a national airline for the past seven years, emphasized how safety and efficiency are the reasons passengers aren’t allowed to go back and grab items they may have left behind.

“Once........

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