London Luton Airport launches Teddy Tags to reunite lost toys with owners

Teddy Tags will be used to help reuinte lost toys and owners

(Picture: Oliver Dixon)

London Luton Airport is offering passengers free Teddy Tags to help travellers stay in contact with cuddly toys during a flight.

More than 1 million passengers are expected to travel through the terminal this month, with December 30 likely to be the busiest day as Luton experiences its busiest Christmas period since 2019.

The tags will allow owners to include the teddy’s full name, flight number and contact details so that any toy left behind can quickly be reunited with their owner.

Clare Armstrong, head of guest experience at the airport, said: “We understand that travelling during the Christmas period can be a taxing time for parents and losing a child’s toy can cause real upset.

Bears are receiving their own passport (Oliver Dixon)

“This year alone, we have collected approximately 200 toys, comforters and teddies that have been left behind by families and while we have happily been able to reunite some of these toys with their owners, it is always a difficult process.

“To make the travel experience as simple and easy as possible for families this Christmas we have launched our Teddy Tag scheme.”

Luton said Amsterdam, Budapest and Sofia are the most popular places for people looking to get away before the new year.

The airport is likely to see a 170 per cent rise from 2021, and is expected to welcome more than 22,000 passengers on Christmas Day alone.

Research of 800 British parents of children aged 1 to 9, commissioned by London Luton Airport, found almost three in four (71%) think the festive period is the most challenging time of year to plan family trips due to the demands of keeping children entertained (Oliver Dixon)

Ms Armstrong said 52 per cent of families that lose a toy will claim that the incident derailed their holiday with a third (32 per cent) saying their favourite toy was irreplaceable.

“The tag system means that it is now easier to reunite children with their favourite toys, taking the stress out of the process should a teddy get misplaced on the journey,” she added.

The scheme launched on Monday.

Nearly half of parents will ask friends, family, or neighbours to help retrieve their child’s lost toy, but they’re also willing to go to extreme lengths by putting up posters and calling the police (Oliver Dixon)

One of the early adopters has been Jo Christie, whose daughter Meilia lost and then found her favourite teddy, called Kaydog, on a previous flight.

Ms Christie said: “We will definitely be picking up a Teddy Tag for Kaydog next time we travel as she does seem to have a habit of getting lost.”