It's not really the laptop but the amount of power the charger draws. I have a compact travel charger from dell and it always works flawlessly. Your normal charger will work if there aren't too many others using the system...otherwise you may have issues. The inflight magazine lists the exact power draw that is supported...looked on nwa.com but couldn't find it for you.
As for removing your battery, that is also related to the power draw. Many chargers will draw less just to run the computer as opposed to run the computer and charge the battery. Hence, with the battery out you may have more luck.