Airlines and Laptops

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Its been ages since I took a plane... Flying into Dallas for the Discus Show... and been reading up at American Airlines website about the do's and don'ts and want to get some practical advice from travelors..

I'll be bringing my laptop as carry on... I understand that they will x-ray the laptop outside of the bag unless the bag is one of those newer TSA approved bags ( mines not). Now I am a Computer junkie, with every peripheral and accessory you could ever need but probably won't... Do they dump that stuff out and x-ray it or generally just X-ray the bag with the accessories and adaptors in it?

I'm glad I read up too.. didn't realize that spare lithium batteries could not be packed in Checked baggage anylonger and had to go on as carry on but with the terminals covered/insulated.

Any advice/info is welcome.

-al

[Eddie]

Hey there Al, been flying across the world several times over and they mainly just want the laptop itself out of the bag. All the other equipment/gadgets can remain in the bag. ;)


Have a safe trip! I leave tomorrow morning for my trip......still packing! LOL


Eddie

[acroken]

Al,
you will have to remove the laptop from the carry bag and have it go through the x-ray in one of those gray tubs by it self. The other cords and power supplies/drives will be fine inside the carry bags. I travel a lot and only a few times have i been asked to remove any other accessory from the carry bags. It really all depends on the terror threat level at the time you are traveling. When the level is higher TSA is on alert and random searches are more common. Good luck but i do not think you have much to worry about. Safe travels.

Kenny

[calihawker]

I'm so jealous! You guys have a great time in Dallas!!

[brewmaster15]

alright another question... carry on bags... when they say can not exceed 45 linear inches combined dimensions... does that include wheels:(

-al

[Wahter]

Al,

I'm with all that's been said above, but don't forget in addition to your one carry-on, you are allowed a personal carry-on, such as a laptop (with case) or handbag, briefcase, purse (for women), etc...

I always carry on my camera gear (with spare batteries' terminals covered) in a backpack and carried my Thinkpad (when I worked at Lenovo) in a separate laptop carrying case (as mentioned, take the laptop/ notebook PC out when you go through X-Ray). You can always stick one beneath the seat in front of you. My battery chargers and camera flash unit sometimes causes confusion to the TSA people. I've even been told, "we know it's just camera equipment, but we need to hand check it anyway".

Hope that helps!


Walter

[brewmaster15]

Thanks everyone!

-al

[Larry Bugg]

Well, sitting here in a hotel room typing on my laptop lol. Dito on all that you pull out is the laptop itself. I have never had a issue with anything else. I will definitely have my laptop and camera in my backpack as a carry on. If the airline misplaces (lol) my checked bag I'll still have them with me. If I can fit everything in the backpack and a carry on bag then that works out best since the airlines have started charging extra for checking a bag.

Fly home tomorrow night and then back on a flight to Dallas Friday morning. Man am I pumped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dbfzurowski]

hey Al,
notebook, what Eddie said
bag, all depends on the person checking in your ticket. last time my fiancee's bag was smaller then mine but they took her's away and lost it. sucked big time since we only went for 3 days for me to kneel down and do my thing on her favorite beach:)

[Discus-n00b]

I find it funny how TSA and the US makes a huge deal about all of this. I didn't have to take my shoes off once going into Germany or Latvia. But yeah I only ever take the computer out nothing else.

[Wahter]

I find it funny how TSA and the US makes a huge deal about all of this. I didn't have to take my shoes off once going into Germany or Latvia. But yeah I only ever take the computer out nothing else.


In my experience, this varies by airport and even within airports, by whichever security check point you go through and by whichever person is do the checking. (I wish those TSA numb nuts would standardize). I've had a situation where I've been yelled at and lectured for putting my boarding pass into my carry-on before going through the X-Ray machine; at other airports they said it was fine to do that, other times with other TSA staff at the same airport, it was fine as well. Of course, absolutely NONE of the airports that I've been to here in the US have any signs nor announcer saying you must have your boarding pass in your hand BEFORE you go through the X-Ray machine (or that it's okay to put it away in your carry-on).
*&^%$#@!

:mad::mad::mad::mad:
(I just have to remember that "60 minutes" pointed out that the TSA workers have been rejected from working at McDonald's)


Walter

[brewmaster15]

Thanks for that info Walter....I have mine in my lab top bag...guess I better not forget to take it out!:)

-al

In my experience, this varies by airport and even within airports, by whichever security check point you go through and by whichever person is do the checking. (I wish those TSA numb nuts would standardize). I've had a situation where I've been yelled at and lectured for putting my boarding pass into my carry-on before going through the X-Ray machine; at other airports they said it was fine to do that, other times with other TSA staff at the same airport, it was fine as well. Of course, absolutely NONE of the airports that I've been to here in the US have any signs nor announcer saying you must have your boarding pass in your hand BEFORE you go through the X-Ray machine (or that it's okay to put it away in your carry-on).
*&^%$#@!

:mad::mad::mad::mad:
(I just have to remember that "60 minutes" pointed out that the TSA workers have been rejected from working at McDonald's)


Walter