Laptops in checked luggage

Most airlines prohibit lithium batteries in checked luggage. Unfortunately, new generation of laptops typically have built-in (often even soldered-in!) lithium batteries. I assume that a laptop will invariably be detected in x-ray inspections commonly performed on checked air-line luggage.

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

I would advise in never checking in valuables such as laptops as cargo luggage.

Multiple times I had my luggage to be lost and sent to other airpots in different countries and having my expensive laptop lost even for a few hours would be really worrying.

DtBB said:

I would advise in never checking in valuables such as laptops as cargo luggage.
Multiple times I had my luggage to be lost and sent to other airpots in different countries and having my expensive laptop lost even for a few hours would be really worrying.

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All laptops are that expensive. I have an electric shaver that costs more than some of my laptops.

kantex said:

Most airlines prohibit lithium batteries in checked luggage. Unfortunately, new generation of laptops typically have built-in (often even soldered-in!) lithium batteries. I assume that a laptop will invariably be detected in x-ray inspections commonly performed on checked air-line luggage.

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

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Absolutely not; I would not trust my laptop or anything else deemed valuable in checked luggage, with or w/o a TSA lock.

BTW, I'm sure if you do a search you'll find that luggage with lithium batteries built-in are not actually allowed for checked baggage.

Mark

mamallama said:

All laptops are that expensive. I have an electric shaver that costs more than some of my laptops.

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I assume you meant "...are not that expensive...", and I agree.

The laptop I travel with is of the kind you often find in electronic waste recycle bins, and it's content is fully encrypted. It is perfectly adequate for hotel bookings, e-mail and file backups. If it goes missing while I'm on an assignment, the result would be a minor inconvenience and monetary only a drop in the bucket when the overall travel budget is considered. On the other hand, the rather limited carry-on luggage allowance is, in my case, better used on lenses and bodies...

I repeat the original question:

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

Regardless what the FAA , TSA or airlines permit, I've never put a laptop, cell phone or iPad in my checked in luggage due to concern of theft, damage or temporary lost luggage.


Cheers,
Doug

kantex said:

mamallama said:

All laptops are that expensive. I have an electric shaver that costs more than some of my laptops.

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I assume you meant "...are not that expensive...", and I agree.

The laptop I travel with is of the kind you often find in electronic waste recycle bins, and it's content is fully encrypted. It is perfectly adequate for hotel bookings, e-mail and file backups. If it goes missing while I'm on an assignment, the result would be a minor inconvenience and monetary only a drop in the bucket when the overall travel budget is considered. On the other hand, the rather limited carry-on luggage allowance is, in my case, better used on lenses and bodies...

I repeat the original question:

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

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I haven't. Although the FAA permits it, individual airlines may have tighter restrictions.


Cheers,
Doug

kantex said:

The laptop I travel with is of the kind you often find in electronic waste recycle bins,

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I wish I'd said that

That's a pretty good description of a lot of my stuff

I never put my laptop in my checked baggage. Apart from anything else, I want to be able to use it on the plane.

kantex said:

Most airlines prohibit lithium batteries in checked luggage. Unfortunately, new generation of laptops typically have built-in (often even soldered-in!) lithium batteries. I assume that a laptop will invariably be detected in x-ray inspections commonly performed on checked air-line luggage.

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

Click to expand...

There are a few incidents per year of phones or laptops catching fire on commercial aircraft. The crews have procedures for handling this in the cabin, but if it happens in the cargo hold you are risking loss or aircraft, crew, and passengers. You cannot get to the checked baggage hold during flight. This is why lithium ion batteries are forbidden in checked bags.

That aside you stand a good chance of eventually getting it stolen.

Kirk

To avoid the carry-on weight limits and any need for checking anything of value in baggage, on last trip I used a cheapo Lenovo 7 inch Android tablet.

It did all that I needed to do with browsing and emails. For backup of SD cards I used an old WD Wireless Passport and too many cards, so I came home with the trip on the cards plus on the backup device.

The 7 inch tablet easily slipped into an end pocket of the camera bag (which with M4/3 gear was small enough to slip under the seat in front - cattle class) and there was no need to extract it at the pre-flight paranoid inspection station.

The best thing that happened was that I finally managed to get everything USB chargeable and that sure makes the tangle of junk easier to manage.

Regards..... Guy

kantex said:

Most airlines prohibit lithium batteries in checked luggage. Unfortunately, new generation of laptops typically have built-in (often even soldered-in!) lithium batteries. I assume that a laptop will invariably be detected in x-ray inspections commonly performed on checked air-line luggage.

Did anybody reading this travel recently with a laptop with a non-removable battery in his or her checked luggage?

Click to expand...

No, because airlines explicitly state it should go in carry on; in fact most airlines allow you to literally carry on the laptop as well as a bag.

putting a laptop in checked luggage is wrong and reckless