use of personal electronic devices on planes
Dec 19, 2006, 8:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA,Delta,USAir,HH,Starwood,Hyatt,PriorityClub
Posts: 1
use of personal electronic devices on planes
don't know if this is the right place but thought i would post the question. i just returned from a trip on alitalia and was told on the plane that i could not play a dvd in my laptop. it was clarified for me that i could use whatever is on the hard drive but cannot use either a cd or dvd in the regular laptop drive while in flight. this was not an accessory connected by a wire or anything like that, just the normal laptop drive. i checked in the in-flight magazine and sure enough it says no laptop use with cd players. i travel a lot and that's the first time i''ve come across something like that and wondered if others have seen that on other airlines.
Dec 19, 2006, 10:20 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
Programs: Delta Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 108
Interesting, I just took a couple of flights on NWA recently and there were at least two people in F watching DVD movies on their laptops. On my flight back when I was in coach 
I watched a DVD on my laptop. Maybe alitalia is more strict than others?
I watched a DVD on my laptop. Maybe alitalia is more strict than others?
Dec 19, 2006, 10:54 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: NYC/SYD
Programs: Virtuoso Travel Advisor. FSPP, Ritz STARS, Rosewood Elite, Belmond BelliniClub. SPG PRO
Posts: 2,445
Aer Lingus is where I first encountered this as well.
January 2004, they claim that the laser in the cd player is what is prohibitted.
Might as well be the same as these liquid bans. Useless. Since so many other flights work just fine with it.
If it were truly a safety issue all of them everywhere would.
January 2004, they claim that the laser in the cd player is what is prohibitted.
Might as well be the same as these liquid bans. Useless. Since so many other flights work just fine with it.
If it were truly a safety issue all of them everywhere would.
Dec 19, 2006, 11:05 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS and vicinity
Programs: Former UA 1P
Posts: 3,725
Several European carriers have this bizzare restriction on optical disk drives going back several years (way before the liquid silliness, the shoe silliness, or even 9/11) The usual reason given is the laser, which makes absolutely no sense as the beam is completely contained and the units are usually designed such that the laser cannot power up with the tray open.
Dec 19, 2006, 5:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: PHX/SFO/LAX
Programs: AA-EXP (1.7MM), BA-Slvr, HH-Diamond
Posts: 7,784
Can anyone explain the laser-phobia of the mentioned airlines? Do they think the DVD laser will somehow go haywire and start emitting a hull-evaporating death ray all over the place?
Dec 19, 2006, 5:43 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Orlando, FL, US
Programs: DL-Dirt Medallion;US-Cast Iron Preferred; HH-Gold; Avis First
Posts: 3,617
My recollection on Alitalia is that they don't allow any CD or DVD drives. That includes standalone CD walkman players, DVD players, and CD/DVD drives in computers.
Dec 19, 2006, 5:46 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K MM, BA-S HH-D, MB-G LT Sil, IHG-Plt, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 3,803
don't know if this is the right place but thought i would post the question. i just returned from a trip on alitalia and was told on the plane that i could not play a dvd in my laptop. it was clarified for me that i could use whatever is on the hard drive but cannot use either a cd or dvd in the regular laptop drive while in flight. this was not an accessory connected by a wire or anything like that, just the normal laptop drive. i checked in the in-flight magazine and sure enough it says no laptop use with cd players. i travel a lot and that's the first time i''ve come across something like that and wondered if others have seen that on other airlines.
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