BA Laptop Ban and Confiscating All Batteries ex-CAI
 

Departing CAI for LHR this morning. I knew I'd have to check my laptop. I was also prepared to check my powerbank, but I had it in my hand when I got to the counter and the check-in agent said all batteries are banned.

Went through my bag and took a powerbank and a spare LG G5 battery. Put them in a plastic bag and said BA will ship them to me at BAs expense. I provided my mailing address and dropped a business card in for good measure.

In regards to getting checked baggage back in LHR, the agent was very difficult about short checking my bag to LHR, but I do have a pretty significant layover and I was eventually able to get it short checked.

Finally, all electronics other than phones were checked, even those within the size limit (mifi and snap glasses).

There's no signage about the rules, nor did they have a pamphlet available with the rules.

They implemented a similar thing in ALG a few weeks ago on the LGW flight. Passengers were told at the check-in desk (which everyone has to use, no mobile BPs in ALG) to check-in laptops and larger electronic items. Not good for me as I use the route regularly and never check-in a bag as I have a tight train to catch from LGW.

However this only lasted a few weeks and was lifted a week or so ago. So it may not be a permanent thing in CAI.

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Curious as to how they will ship them. By plane?

So batteries are banned from the hold by the airlines but banned from the cabin by the authorities. Sounds like a really good idea. Not.

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Snap glasses? Did they make you check those or did you volunteer them?

Isn't the whole point of a size limit that those under such limits are allowable?

Also, I'm fascinated that there is someone out there with snap glasses.

The key issue is whether it is regarded as a laptop periphery or not:

http://www.gov.uk/government/news/ad...ghts-to-the-uk

If it is, then it must conform to the size restrictions - there is a template they have to pass through - and the key one there is 15 mm width restriction. Power banks of any dimension are banned - unfortunately though the above link is definitive, there is another gov weblink which suggests small power banks are allowed, though many won't meet the 15 mm restriction.

[dont regard this link as valid]
http://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restr...ectrical-items
[/don't regard this link as valid]

Note that some older mobile telephones are failing the 15 mm test.

The restriction on power banks, etc, is clearly stated here: https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-rest...ectrical-items

When I last flew on an affected route they asked to unlock my phone at the gate and scrolled through it a couple of times.

So why is a keyboard a laptop periphery but headphones not? What about a mouse? Or a DVD drive? Or a docking station?

​​​​​​​The implementation of this ban has been incompetent from the outset.

When I travelled back from Istanbul a week ago TK were taking everyone's laptop, putting it into a sealed bag, labelling the bag and then putting them all in a hard shell case; they had two available. I assume this was then put in the hold as beside the luggage carousel in T2, TK set up a stall to hand back all the laptops

That sounds like a much more tolerable, sensible and safe solution as far as access to laptop and the risk of breakage/pilfering is concerned, even though it's annoying not to be able to work whilst on a flight.

Well you and I may be aware of what all these peripheries can and can't do, but spare a thought for those who have to implement this. If each passenger has a dozen gizmos, there is no way that 2,000 or even 3,000 items can be analysed in 30 minutes before departure. Realistically a mouse and a headphone will probably be OK, but not everyone is a computer geek, and the difference between an external DVD drive and a battery backup unit may not be that obvious. If the search agent is in doubt then quite understandably it probably won't be flying with you.

No one is doing this for the fun of it, the reason for this specific clampdown have now been well publicised, at least in the serious media in the USA.

I would agree the TK pragmatic approach seems a good way forward. I suspect if the USA is also caught up with this restriction I hope BA will follow suit.

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