[wowzimmer]

stevescoots,

In the UK all passengers are required to remove their laptops from bags for x-ray screening. This isn’t just so that screener gets a good look for tell-tale signs of an IED in your laptop. The equipment used in British airports also has trace detection technology so additional swabs are only necessary if the initial screening shows something untoward.

Of course, screening in other countries isn’t always as thorough – although, in some cases, it can be better. Balance is key (or at least, that’s what I hope government officials think)

[LuganoPirate]

I rarely travel with a laptop but when I do, or my boys do, I can’t be bothered with the security hassle so I put in it my suitcase. Despite my case being well and truly abused my laptop has never suffered any harm. As a precaution I do remove the battery though.

Concerning security of data. Luckily it’s never been lost and while I do carry some sensitive data I keep this on a memory stick (triple encrypted) rather than the laptop itself. For less sensitive data I keep it on a cloud server based in Switzerland and everything else such as my pickled onion recipes is kept on One Drive.

I’m not sure however I see the point of this ban. If you’re coming from say Yemen intent on doing harm, then you fly to another airport not affected by the ban and then fly on from there?

The way we’re going we’ll soon be back to pen and paper and all traveling on ships again!

[Swissdiver]

An interesting perspective: US protectionism…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/03/21/trump-wont-allow-you-to-use-ipads-or-laptops-on-certain-airlines-heres-the-underlying-story/

[Londonfrog]

Swissdiver

I have suspected it the moment I saw the news posting my opinion under the news article on this site.

Now watch German following the same approach.

[Swissdiver]

Germans following would be a rather good news for Air France… 🙂

[LuganoPirate]

Just read there will be a secondary check at security for those with hand baggage only who checked in online. So terrorist one on a flight to the UK goes through. Terrorist 2 on a flight to Germany go through with the banned items.

Once past security T2 hands banned items to T1 and of he goes.

Ill thought out and ineffective!

[Tom Otley]

I had my laptop swabbed last week at Barcelona prior to flying back to London Luton.

[openfly]

More ridiculous guff from people who are just covering their ars.s.
You have to check in a mini-iPad, but are allowed a Kindle or similar. If some idiot wants to bomb an aircraft they will do it. Remember years ago…no batteries and lots of drama at security. After a while it got a little inconvenient for government ministers so the rule was relaxed.
One can only imagine that it is a Trumpism….
As previously mentioned a bomb in the hold is worse than the cabin. At least in the cabin any associated fire can be dealt with and the problem is recognised.
At least I shall be able to use my iPad on the Isle of Wight ferry….or will I??!!

[openfly]

@LP…exactly! ?

[Tom Otley]

[quote quote=796864]An interesting perspective: US protectionism…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/03/21/trump-wont-allow-you-to-use-ipads-or-laptops-on-certain-airlines-heres-the-underlying-story/

[/quote]

Good article
“It may not be about security. Three of the airlines that have been targeted for these measures — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways — have long been accused by their U.S. competitors of receiving massive effective subsidies from their governments. These airlines have been quietly worried for months that President Trump was going to retaliate. This may be the retaliation.

These three airlines, as well as the other airlines targeted in the order, are likely to lose a major amount of business from their most lucrative customers — people who travel in business class and first class. Business travelers are disproportionately likely to want to work on the plane — the reason they are prepared to pay business-class or first-class fares is because it allows them to work in comfort. These travelers are unlikely to appreciate having to do all their work on smartphones, or not being able to work at all. The likely result is that many of them will stop flying on Gulf airlines, and start traveling on U.S. airlines instead.

As the Financial Times notes, the order doesn’t affect only the airlines’ direct flights to and from the United States — it attacks the “hub” airports that are at the core of their business models. These airlines not only fly passengers directly from the Gulf region to the United States — they also fly passengers from many other destinations, transferring them from one plane to another in the hubs. This “hub and spoke” approach is a standard economic model for long-haul airlines, offering them large savings. However, it also creates big vulnerabilities. If competitors or unfriendly states can undermine or degrade the hub, they can inflict heavy economic damage.”

[penfold69]

How would they enforce this? Are the airports concerned, going to pay for the extra screening needed to identify where people are flying to and then screen them differently? At this point, people will also have checked in any luggage, meaning they would lose their devices at security. If they aren’t going to be screened separately, then are the gate agents/airline crew going to check? I think the above article probably has more truth in it than any realistic security threat. If you can’t enforce the ban, then what’s the point.

[YellowBelly]

More details here on the US ban from the Homeland Security web site: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/03/21/qa-aviation-security-enhancements-select-last-point-departure-airports-commercial

[GivingupBA]

My problem is that I almost always travel hand luggage only. I always carry a laptop – so from now on, from those airports, I’ll have to carry a check in bag. That may not sound like a major inconvenience, but it’s enough to make me choose other airlines/airports.

[kweeki1]

This looks like a real explanation of the ban.
Otherwise I don’t undestand the reason behind the ban : why the terrorists are supposed to take the direct flights from theses airports? Why the terrorists will aim to destroy Gulf-carriers planes and not american ones?
Now my question is : why UK also issued similar ban but for different carriers and different airports?

[YellowBelly]

[quote quote=796908]My problem is that I almost always travel hand luggage only. I always carry a laptop – so from now on, from those airports, I’ll have to carry a check in bag. That may not sound like a major inconvenience, but it’s enough to make me choose other airlines/airports.

[/quote]

For the airports/airlines that these new rules apply to at least it should solve 1. the problems of chaotic boarding by those insisting on taking too much or oversized hand luggage onto the plane and 2. insufficient overhead luggage space.
If every business traveller who needs/insists to take a laptop/tablet with them has to check luggage into the hold this will free up space within the cabin and will remove the reason why most people seem to be desperate to get onto the plane i.e. to grab the overhead luggage space. I for one am looking forward to a more leisurely boarding and no issues finding overhead space.
PS I always check luggage into the hold and take a small laptop bag with me but I guess my carry-on bag could get even smaller now.

[Author]

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