New TSA Laptop Policy: Will it Make it Easier?
August 6, 2008 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Air Travel, Travel Tips
Getting through the airport security line MAY just have gotten a little easier with the new TSA policy that will allow travelers to leave their laptops inside “checkpoint friendly” bags. The new rule will take effect on August 16th.
Using a “checkpoint friendly” bag means having one that contains ONLY your laptop (no cords, plug ins, or extraneous attachments), and that can unfold to lie flat on the x-ray belt. No metal snaps, zippers, buckles, or pockets.
With this type of bag, you would place the bag directly onto the belt, rather than putting it into a separate screening bin. The design would give the security screeners a clear and unobstructed image of the laptop, allowing them to spot anything that shouldn’t be there.
The policy change comes after a call was put out to manufacturers to design a “checkpoint friendly” bag. A number of designs were submitted, and several were approved and given a TSA stamp of approval. However, the TSA is quick to point out that using an approved bag is no guarantee that it will automatically pass through the security screen. A number of other factors, many of which are not made public, go into the decision about whether a secondary screen is necessary.
You can read the full “checkpoint friendly” policy and exceptions and decide if this is going to be a help for you.
Since I usually take my laptop with me when I travel, I hope to report back on how this policy is implemented and interpreted at various airports around the country. I fear that this rule, like the rest, is going to be subject to the whim (legally called interpretation) of the individual screener.
I hope readers will chime in with their experiences. Do the screeners know about the new policy? Are they following it? Is this saving you any time?
Image credit: Amazon
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It might make it easier to get your laptop on the plane, but I’m still freaked out about how difficult it potentially is to get your laptop through customs.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-laptops26-2008jun26,0,4415017.story
Is it really that big of a deal to pull your laptop out of the bag? I’ve never had an issue with it. And if it only works if your laptop is in a bag all by itself, but you can still only bring one bag on the plane, you’re probably going to have it tucked inside a larger bag anyway and will need to remove it.
Pam: I’ve never had a problem bringing my computer back into the US (from Mexico, Canada, Europe), and have cleared customs without incident in Seattle, LAX, San Francisco, JFK, and probably a few other airports that I can’t remember.
I wonder what the underlying trigger is for sizeure.
Laura: I think there will eventually be more and more bags designed that will meet these specifications, so it may be more helpful than now.
Another issue this addresses is that the computer does not have to be unprotected, where other bags or items can fall on it. Some protection for expensive equipment is better than none.
Where are we supposed to keep the cords, power brick, etc? Will that seperate bag require greater scrutiny?