Originally Posted by
fezzington
FA manual says "Use of small, lightweight PEDs (e.g. Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, Microsoft surface, etc) is permitted gate-to-gate on UA flights..." Anything under 2lbs may be placed in a pocket, a seatback pocket, or held -- it may not be left unsecured on an adjacent empty seat. Anything over 2lbs must be stowed in an approved carryon baggage location.
In that case, I'll just claim my quasi-tablet is under 2lbs if asked to put it away, and see what they say. Majority of the time FA's don't bat an eye when they see a tablet, no matter how obnoxiously big it is!
One time on a screen-less plane flight, a passenger dangled his ~13" iPad Pro from the upper seatback pocket to mimic an embedded entertainment screen 100% of the flight, and all the FA's said was "that's a nifty idea!".
IMO, an object that big needs to be
at least secured on the lap during takeoff and landing, under 2lbs or not...
Anyhow, FA's won't weigh a tablet-looking PED to verify if it's under 2lbs, and (no offense to hardworking FA's) it's not their area of expertise to properly interpret PED guidelines! So basically, I think it is worth investing in a hybrid computer for someone hoping to circumvent the rules (such as myself), because it would widely vary by FA opinion. FMP such devices are overlooked at least more than half the time.