capedreamer

I'm flying AC865 LHR-YUL today. At baggage drop this morning, the AC counter agent told me I'm not allowed to transport a laptop in my checked bag. This is the first time I've ever heard such a rule.

The UK government certainly has no such restrictions: https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-rest...ectrical-items

Neither does the Canadian government: https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/item/laptop-computers

Is this an Air Canada-specific rule? I've never been prevented from placing a laptop in my checked bags on past AC flights, and couldn't find any such limitations on the AC website.

Does anyone here have any insights?

vancouver25k

I think it has to do with the batteries.
https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/guidelines-batteries

AC681

Is correct, lithium batteries should never go in cargo due to their fire risk if punctured/damaged. Especially since any built-in fire extinguisher systems in the cargo hold won't be able to deal with a lithium fire particularly effectively (once the fire is out, you need to cool the battery lest the fire just start again.

A number of cargo aircraft have been lost due to improper packaging.(UPS 6 is the first one that pops into my head https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6)

capedreamer

Ah interesting. Thank you. Curious why government authorities don't restrict this and leave it to the airlines?

AC681

The government (Transport Canada in this case) most definitely does restrict them under the dangerous goods regulations.

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/ref...asa-no-2016-04

Aliquot

As already stated this is due to goverment regulations (both UK and Canada and almost every other country) but if you are interested here is how AC implements these regulations. You usualy are required to state at some point before boarding that you don't have any resticted items.

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...d-items.html#/

capedreamer

Thank you. Yes, the baggage drop agent asked me if I was carrying a laptop in my checked bag.

Seems like if this is a real safety risk, governments / airlines should just say that laptops are not allowed in checked bags, rather than laptops are allowed in checked bags but lithium-ion batteries are not, since these are basically standard now?

Adam1222

Many laptops have removable batteries. Theoretically, one could place the battery in their carry on and the laptop in the hold.

SilverChris

I'm shocked that placing laptops in checked bags is actually a thing. Here's a recent thread from the EI forum.
No laptops in hold?!

Am I missing something here?

Stranger

In the last week or two there were two cases of laptop fire on board. One of them an LH 747 flight which ended up making an emergency landing.

capedreamer

In my case, I'm moving across the Atlantic and already had 1 laptop in my carry-on. I planned to check the 2nd laptop after a quick perusal of the UK and Canadian government sites linked above, which both indicate that laptops are allowed in hold. I didn't look closely enough to see the battery issue.

zoechow

Thanks for raising this. I'm curious too. Last I checked I didn't think most carriers forbid it, nor the European or North American countries I had checked. But I was told no laptops, no ipads in checked bags on check-in for a BER-EWR flight, I think it was, last Summer. I wonder if it is consistently being said now, or randomly, or what?

zappy312

I posted in another thread but I wanted to check a laptop that I was transporting as a Christmas gift so it wouldn't need to be opened at the security checkpoint for inspection.

It was in it's originally shipping packaging so I wasn't worried about damage (if UPS can handle it as-is, I'm sure AC can handle it if it's double boxed). The battery would have been disabled in the software to prevent it from turning on inadvertently.

I don't really see how there would be any more risk compared to when the manufacturer shipped it by air to North America on a passenger flight, or UPS shipping it by air from the distribution warehouse to myself, but I complied with AC's wishes and carried in onboard.

zkzkz

There's definitely a risk, it's caused two major cargo crashes and is a leading theory for MH370. There are videos online showing lithium fires in the passenger cabin being put out. However the regulations are ... subtle.

The legal restrictions bar packing loose batteries and spare batteries but allow batteries *in devices* up to a specified size "with permission of airline". I don't really understand the point of that rule since presumably you're only ever allowed *anything* "with permission of the airline" ... But I guess that's why I'm not a lawyer.

Some airlines definitely do allow checking laptops with a battery installed, I've done it when I moved house years ago -- I flew with AA -- but the agent still had to check with a supervisor. And the rules were far from unambiguous and I wouldn't be surprised if some people get a different answer. Their written rules haven't changed but the practical enforcement may have. Fwiw AC's rules haven't changed since that time either and they prohibited it then and still do.

StuckInYYZ

This varies with the manufacturer. UPSs are often shipped with the terminals disconnected or taped up. Many smaller devices with batteries often have them pre-installed but with something to break the circuit. I'm unaware of any "software" that would prevent a laptop from turning on. If anything, it's a matter of making sure the power button is unlikely to be pressed.