Warning - Valet Gate Checked Carryons

[clkelley]

Just an FYI for those of you that fly on the smaller commuter jets.

My boss was recently on one of those flights and had one of those rolling computer bags.

He was on a 35 passenger commuter jet, where anything but the smallest carryon gets valet checked at the gate.

He put his computer bag on the valet cart and when he arrived at his destination and went to claim it at the gate, his bag did not come off the plane. It arrived at his home the next day, but was empty!!!

Note, he has travelled with that particular bag on those types of flights 100s of flights without incident, but on this particular flight, a baggage handler decided to help themselves to the contents of his bag including a work computer and all the peripherals. Fortunately, our IT department has the ability to lock out the computer remotely and make it useless.

So, just for cautions sake, he now lugs the computer in a smaller bag that can be brought onboard even on those smaller planes. It's a hassle cause it doesn't roll, and even the lightest laptop can get heavy through a large airport.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I don't know anyone that gate checks their notebook computers...good advice, but I don't know why anyone would and most travelers make sure whatever notebook case they use fits under the seat (which means it will almost always fit in the overhead).

 

[DebbieB]

I used to travel alot on business with my laptop. I have 2 bags, one was smaller with a shoulder strap, the other had wheels. So I would take into consideration the type of plane before I decided which to take. The one with wheels would be really tight in a CRJ overhead, so I would take the shoulder bag unless I had alot of walking at my destination. I usually could squeeze it under the seat if necessary but that took away leg room.

 

[dudspizza]

Since the IT dept can lock it remotely.... can they also track it remotely to find its location? Would be kind of cool to see the offenders face when the cops show up!

Duds

 

[seashoreCM]

Better to take the next flight if worse comes to worst and a smaller plane was substituted and carry on space was not available.

Now it is possible under certain obscure circumstances that the stolen computercan be located. Kee the backup software disks at home, buy a replacement com0puter of the same make and model re, and re-install the old software on the new machine. Microsoft or one of the other software makers will detect duplicate use of the software license and afters some back-and-forth, go after the offender.

 

[crashbb]

He doesn't need another laptop bag. He just needed to take the laptop out of the bag and bring it on board. The laptop will be fine "bagless" for the short time of the flight. Or get a neoprene sleeve for the laptop (and then stick it in the bag) and just take the sleeve and laptop after gate checking the other bag.

Sorry, to hear that your boss lost his laptop. Gate agents (in my experience) often warn people not to leave anything of value in a gate checked bag.

 

[agnes!]

Better to take the next flight if worse comes to worst and a smaller plane was substituted and carry on space was not available.

Now it is possible under certain obscure circumstances that the stolen computercan be located. Kee the backup software disks at home, buy a replacement com0puter of the same make and model re, and re-install the old software on the new machine. Microsoft or one of the other software makers will detect duplicate use of the software license and afters some back-and-forth, go after the offender.

BRILLIANT.

agnes!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I use the bag within a bag just for these circumstances. I have a sleeve which has D-rings on each side to which a strap can be attached, as well as a separate bag with all the cords, etc. It is check point friendly, so it the sleeve stays inside my rolling bag untl I get to security or when I need to gate check my roller. The sleeve also provide some protection when it goes under my feet on the regional jet. -- Suzanne

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Better to take the next flight if worse comes to worst and a smaller plane was substituted and carry on space was not available.

Now it is possible under certain obscure circumstances that the stolen computercan be located. Kee the backup software disks at home, buy a replacement com0puter of the same make and model re, and re-install the old software on the new machine. Microsoft or one of the other software makers will detect duplicate use of the software license and afters some back-and-forth, go after the offender.

It will take MS years to track that down and by that time, who cares.

There is another lesson to learn from this, make sure if you are bringing your computer with you to lock it down. Not just with basic BIOS and Windows passwords (they can be broken), but with encryption to protect your data.

 

[NotUrsula]

They can take the bag, but the computer stays with me, as does any portable memory device. The rest of the peripherals I don't care about; those are easily replaced.

Like most female business travelers I know, I use a sleeve on my laptop, and carry it on board in a fairly large tote that also contains my string wallet, etc. I've never had to surrender the tote, but if I did, the sleeve and the wallet would stay with me regardless. (My portable hard drive can fit into the sleeve in a pinch; it's stretchy.) I will often slip the sleeve into my rollaboard while in transit through the airport, to avoid the weight of carrying it for long periods, but it moves to the tote before I board.

The fact of the matter is that your boss has been a lucky fool for a while now, and his luck finally ran out.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

The police won't prosecute cases where a credit card number is stolen and used to buy airline tickets (which HAVE to have a real name associated with them to use) what makes you think Microsoft will do anything other than disallow the thief to upgrade any MS software on the stolen laptop? Hellooooooooooo

Think about it...

Better to take the next flight if worse comes to worst and a smaller plane was substituted and carry on space was not available.

Now it is possible under certain obscure circumstances that the stolen computercan be located. Kee the backup software disks at home, buy a replacement com0puter of the same make and model re, and re-install the old software on the new machine. Microsoft or one of the other software makers will detect duplicate use of the software license and afters some back-and-forth, go after the offender.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

He has been lucky, I agree. Netbook sized laptops are now becoming standard issue for this very reason. I can manage mine in my purse if I have to. I am really surprised that someone who flies on an RJ wouldn't already be aware of how little onboard space there is for carry-ons and choose a laptop case accordingly. Not saying he deserved to get his laptop stolen, just curious about his not-so-proactive approach.

They can take the bag, but the computer stays with me, as does any portable memory device. The rest of the peripherals I don't care about; those are easily replaced.

Like most female business travelers I know, I use a sleeve on my laptop, and carry it on board in a fairly large tote that also contains my string wallet, etc. I've never had to surrender the tote, but if I did, the sleeve and the wallet would stay with me regardless. (My portable hard drive can fit into the sleeve in a pinch; it's stretchy.) I will often slip the sleeve into my rollaboard while in transit through the airport, to avoid the weight of carrying it for long periods, but it moves to the tote before I board.

The fact of the matter is that your boss has been a lucky fool for a while now, and his luck finally ran out.

 

[snowbunny]

My dinky airport is almost all CRJ service. I carry my laptop in my briefcase regardless of aircraft.

I would not dream of putting a computer in a carryon to be gate checked any more than I would pack it in a bag to be checked into the hold. Common sense, people...