Traveling with a Laptop???

[Barb]

I will be flying commercial with a laptop for the first time. I'm not sure what to expect. And, I'm not sure if it's best to have it be my carry-on or should I pack in well within my suitcase to be checked in? What do you do? Do you have any trouble taking it as carry-on? Thanks!

 

[jk1]

No problem traveling with a laptop. Do not put it in your checked baggage. You can carry it on with no problem. At the security check-point, you will need to take the laptop out of its case and put it through the x-ray machine by itself. Make sure you or someone else in your group will have passed through the metal detector by the time the laptop gets on the other side to prevent theft.

 

[Rajah]

Absolutely absolutely ABSOLUTELY do NOT check your laptop. Carry it on. The higher-powered x-ray machines some (a lot of?) airports use will destroy the information on the laptop if you send it through checked.

It's easy to take it as carry-on. Just make sure your battery is charged because they very likely will want you to load it up and show that it works.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

My husband goes on buisnes trips all the time. He takes it as a carry-on and he says a couple of times they've made him take it out and start it up, but thats it. Other than that he has no problems with it.

 

[glo]

I have never had to start the computer up, and I have traveled quite a bit with it since 9/11. You will have to take it out of it's case and place it on a tray. YOu will put it through the x-ray machine sepaprately from the case. Then on the other side you put it back into the case again. Really isn't a big deal if you know you are doing it ahead of time.

 

[Steve H.]

Just don't forget to remember to grab your laptop on the other side of the security check. I read a statistic that said lost laptops are up like 300% since 9/11, because people are taking their laptops out, scanning them, then forgetting to put it back in their bag while picking up everything else!

 

[nativetxn]

Well, maybe I'm stupid, but I pack my laptop in my checkin luggage. Works for me, anyway