Originally Posted by
zappy312
Regardless of the precautions, I think it's easier for airlines to have a blanket rule of no electronics, rather than some sort of complicated conditions that you're leaving self serve bag tag kiosks or agents to ask about.
How is "laptops only in carry-on baggage" a complicated condition? It is right on AC's
checked baggage page:
Always place the following items in your carry-on bag:* On smaller aircraft (e.g. Jazz Dash-8 or CRJ) with limited onboard storage space, customers are asked to deposit their carry-on items on a cart as they board the plane. Laptop computers must be removed from any carry-on baggage that is deposited on such carts.
They are, in fact, imposing a stricter rule than required by governments and IATA in order to simplify things. Technically, it is legal to check any device < 5kg with a battery < 100Wh capacity, but they don't want agents to have to ask people what the storage capacity of their laptop battery is.
Practically speaking, the only device most travelers will ever carry that's
available with a battery > 100Wh is a laptop (or a dedicated power bank, which is covered separately); hence, that's what they restrict.