Laptops through airport security- 1 more question

[disneyholic family]

i carry my laptop in a small wheeled bag....it gets too heavy over the shoulder when you add in all the electrical cords/plugs/etc...
i carry all my other carry on stuff in the same bag (medicine , change of clothes)....
the laptop itself is in one of those sleeves to protect it from other stuff in the carry on..

 

[juliebro]

I carry my laptop in a normal laptopbag and within that I carry it in a protective sleeve similar to this.

I do remove from the bigger bag but I've never been asked to remove it from this sleeve to go through the xray (including MCO side when they had double security screenings on arrival). I've once been asked to remove it when pulled over for one of those random checks to get on the plane but that was to show it could boot up not because they didn't like it in the sleeve thing.

We took a netbook on our last trip. I had it in a rucksack in a sleeve like yours. I only had to take it out of the sleeve at Manchester, not in the US at either MCO or Philly.

 

[j9000]

Lucky you!!!

Fortunately I don't carry much with me on the plane and it helps that we don't need any liquids with us so there isn't even the plastic bag or medicines. I just ordered a Swissgear laptop backpack over the weekend and it looks pretty "ordinary", although I would rather tell them it's in there than have them "find" it if you know what I mean.

I just hate the bags that are so obvious you might as well write 'laptop' on the bag,

I tend to put all my chargers in my backpack along with a couple of books, trip print outs and painkilers, so it needs to be quite a chunky bag.

 

[2Tiggies]

I just hate the bags that are so obvious you might as well write 'laptop' on the bag,

I tend to put all my chargers in my backpack along with a couple of books, trip print outs and painkilers, so it needs to be quite a chunky bag.

It's the charger and the camera that will take the bulk of the space. 1 book is enough for me and the travel wallet of course. I am the same with the handbag: go as small as possible so you only fit exactly what you need in it - and very importantly, if someone else wants to put something in there I can honestly say there is no room! This doesn't look obviously like a laptop bag I don't think and is apparently quite compact if you don't stuff it. DD will have her pull along hand luggage case and I can put a few things in there if need be.

 

[2Tiggies]

Just wondered if you have to have the charger in your hand luggage if your laptop is charged so it can switch on? Or is it more for practicality in case you need the laptop and your luggage is delayed - or are you not allowed to put chargers in the hold?

Sorry, that was three more questions!

 

[Disneymad]

Personally I only put the charger in hand luggage on way out but pack everything but the kitchen sink (and laptop) in the cases for the trip home. This is like you say, only in case my luggage gets lost or delayed and I'd be stuck not being able to recharge when out there but coming home I don't care.

That's purely choice though, it's fine for chargers to go through the hold if you want to travel light.

 

[2Tiggies]

Personally I only put the charger in hand luggage on way out but pack everything but the kitchen sink (and laptop) in the cases for the trip home. This is like you say, only in case my luggage gets lost or delayed and I'd be stuck not being able to recharge when out there but coming home I don't care.

That's purely choice though, it's fine for chargers to go through the hold if you want to travel light.

Of course if you got stranded en route somewhere you would need a suitable place to connect the charger. So I guess a US adapter is a must in hand luggage too if you take a charger for that reason.

 

[kamik86]

What would really bug me if someone took my computer and started looking through it for child porn at an airport is lets for a second pretend I was smuggling child porn... There is NO way you would find it in 10 min.

It would put put into program files of very technical stuff and disguised as dlls, exes etc(so just clicking on picture files wouldn't help) possibly in hidden files so you would have to know how to turn on the option to see those etc. So the whole excercise would be pointless anyway.

BTW I do not like porn of any kind but my hubby is also very into computers so if I make him those speical coupons (for getting out of chores, a day to relax, etc) and print them as a present or even if I have an order confirmation for a present I need to hide them well unless I order from my mom's computer.

 

[disneyholic family]

What would really bug me if someone took my computer and started looking through it for child porn at an airport is lets for a second pretend I was smuggling child porn... There is NO way you would find it in 10 min.

It would put put into program files of very technical stuff and disguised as dlls, exes etc(so just clicking on picture files wouldn't help) possibly in hidden files so you would have to know how to turn on the option to see those etc. So the whole excercise would be pointless anyway.

BTW I do not like porn of any kind but my hubby is also very into computers so if I make him those speical coupons (for getting out of chores, a day to relax, etc) and print them as a present or even if I have an order confirmation for a present I need to hide them well unless I order from my mom's computer.

i agree - it's a useless exercise which is why it is such a total invasion of privacy.....
i would be angry beyond words if someone went into my computer..

and i wonder if they really have the right to do that.....without a warrant or really even any reasonable doubt.....we're talking about two individuals with no criminal record whatsoever....not even a parking ticket...
and they're treated as if they're the state's enemy....

it would be enough for me to almost say, 'ok - just put me on a plane...if this is the way you run your country, i don't want any part of it"...

 

[tinks_1989]

Hi guys

I have decided to take our laptop as well

How do you know that your charger works in america with the voltage difference mine says input : 100-240V im guessing thats ok

 

[2Tiggies]

Hi guys

I have decided to take our laptop as well

How do you know that your charger works in america with the voltage difference mine says input : 100-240V im guessing thats ok

You will need a UK/USA adapter for it to fit the plug point on the wall socket The adapters deal with the voltage anyway just as they do when you take a battery charger/straighteners.

 

[tinks_1989]

ok thats brilliant thanks I have got so many adaptors I always buy a new one when I go because I can never find them I found all 11 yesterday LOL

 

[Twilight Terror]

You will need a UK/USA adapter for it to fit the plug point on the wall socket The adapters deal with the voltage anyway just as they do when you take a battery charger/straighteners.

Most adapters are just that - adapters. They do nothing to the voltage supply, they just change the physical plug from a UK one to a US. You would need a voltage converter in order to step down the voltage, if you so required.

Just check the plug/cable of all of your devices, and look at the input (as you have with the laptop). As long as it says input: 100 - 240v, then you will be fine. The trouble comes when you have something that is 240v only; then you would need a voltage converter.

Your laptop will be fine with just an adapter, but be sure to check everything else out too!

 

[Disneymad]

Going off topic a bit but to follow up on Twilight Terror's comment about adapters working (or not as the case may be), I did have to buy a Rechargeable Battery charger in the US as plugging in my UK one - even though the lights came on as normal and would go green saying they were charged - failed miserably at re-charging my AA's due to low voltage. I've also heard comments about UK hairdryers not working very well for the same reason.

A lot of things do still work with just a plug adaptor despite the low voltage, but there are deffo exceptions.

 

[2Tiggies]

Going off topic a bit but to follow up on Twilight Terror's comment about adapters working (or not as the case may be), I did have to buy a Rechargeable Battery charger in the US as plugging in my UK one - even though the lights came on as normal and would go green saying they were charged - failed miserably at re-charging my AA's due to low voltage. I've also heard comments about UK hairdryers not working very well for the same reason.

A lot of things do still work with just a plug adaptor despite the low voltage, but there are deffo exceptions.

Oh, so that is why rechargable batteries seem to take twice as long to charge there?

 

[Disneymad]

Yarr! I picked up a cheapy one in Walmart and it's like 2-3 hour quick charge - it's great. The one from home would take all night and then the batteries would die again after 10 pictures anyhow - was rubbish!

 

[2Tiggies]

Yarr! I picked up a cheapy one in Walmart and it's like 2-3 hour quick charge - it's great. The one from home would take all night and then the batteries would die again after 10 pictures anyhow - was rubbish!

Hmm, that reminds me of a perfectly good camera I GAVE away thinking it was faulty. Discovered after the fact that it was actually the charger!

I will take plenty so I don't have any laptop issues. Otherwise I may end up having to buy a cable there with a US plug on the end

 

[2Tiggies]

Okay, so a few days ago I said ONE more question. I lied! But I loathe to start another thread for silly Qs so here are 2 more for all you gurus out there.


Where do I check the voltage on my laptop/charger? Feel free to make fun of me, but please do so behind my back

Those of you who use your laptops on the flight for DVD's etc, where do you get a power cable to keep it charged for the flight and how do I check if my aircraft has a power source at all seats for this? (VA from Glasgow). Pretty pointless getting a cable if there is nowhere to plug it.

Thank you for your tolerance with me.

 

[Disneymad]

There is usually a little 'box' on your lap top power lead. It's either one of those big box plugs or there's a box mid cable allowing you to have a normal weenie sized plug at the socket. That's the transformer (I think!) and should show the voltage on it there.

I think most (if not all) laptops are fine as the nature of them is to take them travelling and also they just mass produce them all identically for the world and then it's just a question of putting the right plug on the end depending on where it ships.

With regards to plugging in on the plane - I don't. I take both batteries fully charged and switch them out if needed. Economy certainly doesn't have any plugs, PE on Virgin don't either (though BA might, never flown WT+ with them), but I suspect it's only Business Class and above that have an option for charging laptops and even then it rings a bell you have to buy a converter thing with BA for a silly amount of money.

One thing I do suggest if you have the disk space is to actually rip the dvd's on to your drive rather than watch from the disc (and yes, this is legal as long as you legitimately own the original DVD). It uses a lot more power to physically spin the DVD so watching it off your hardrive will extend your battery life a fair bit.

 

[Funky_dino]

I believe the revamped Virgin planes that go from LHW have the power sockets in the their PE section, but I may be wrong. Failing that get a macbook, the battery lasts for ages on one charge lol