Rules on using portable DVD players on planes
 

I'm thinking of buying a portable DVD player. It would not be one of the PC-based ones. Does anyone know if any airlines allow their use? I know European airlines are generally stricter than US ones - so I'm more interested in US airlines - especially AA and DL.

Thanks for any info.

I've used my PC based DVD player on Continental and United with no problems. I don't remember any announcements saying that the stand alone DVDs were specifically not allowed. Hope this helps some http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

They are treated like any other portable electronic device and may only be used after takeoff and must be shut off before landing.

Of course, be considerate of you neighbor and use headphones.

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Thank you all.

You're right, Mileage Addict. I've seen a lot of upset people when kids have been using them without headphones.

i sat next to one using headphones, but the volume was so loud i could hear it despite the engine sound... so i asked him to turn it down...
what were the parents thinking? wont this damage the kids hearing?

Leroy,

Don't forget to purchase a noise reduction headphone when you buy the DVD player. It makes all the difference in the world. Of course, that means also buy lots of batteries.

I am not sure sure! I have been asked more and more frequently to turn off my CD player as it is no longer allowed to be used on many carriers. This could be the case with DVD players as well.

Dorian

LH definitely does not allow any CD/DVD/MD players to be used on board (German FAA (i. e. "Luftfahrtbundesamt") does not permit the usage of these devices).

Does anyone know if these prohibitions of DVD players also apply to laptop computers that happen to be playing DVDs (as some of them can), assuming it's in a part of the flight where laptops may be used? (That could also solve the battery problem if you are plugged into a seat outlet, though it's a pretty expensive way to watch movies if you don't need a high-end laptop for anything else.)

CD players and DVD players integrated into laptops are included in the restrictions that I have read....THOUGH I have never been stopped (as if the FA's would know!)...

Dorian

LH does restrict the use of laptops to those without a CD-ROM/DVD/CD-R (you lucky ones... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ) drive. With UA, however, I never had a problem using either my Discman or my laptop with CD-ROM.

Since AA uses portable DVD players as part of its Flagship First Class service, you shouldn't have any problems with that airline.

Are you kidding? Laptops allowed unless they have CD/DVD/CDRW?!?!?!

What kind of a silly restriction is that? Are they afraid that the small increase in power drain from the seat outlet will cause the aircraft to crash? It's certain that the CD/DVD drive does not produce any kind of emission, so what could that rationale possibly be due to?

The rationale is the governmental regulation by the German FAA (Luftfahrtbundesamt). Since LH is based in Germany, they have to obey these regulations. There have been talks about the removal of these restrictions (they said it's due any day now...), but when I took my last international LH operated flight (May 1st), they were still in effect (and German authorities are not exactly the least bureaucratic in the world http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif)...

Huh? How did the German equiv. to the FAA come up with this regulation?? Let me guess...

"The vibrations from a spinning CD may cause a fatal crash by vibrating at a frequency that destablizes the aluminum the airplane body is made of"

(intense sarcasm)

Maybe LH wants to restrict your onboard entertainment? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif Sort of like the no outside food/drink rule at movies and sporting events.

[This message has been edited by Aubie (edited 05-29-2000).]

AA does allow use of a dvd player i use mine all the time and some fa's watch the movie with me

I have used them on both AA and DL with no problem.

The German rules are probably in place to keep German citizens from working on the plane. They wouldn't want you to violate the mandatory 30-hour work week that's all the rage in Europe...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

No problem using them inflight in Canada or on Canadian based airlines.

As NJ pointed out, I've sneaked a few minutes myself watching the movie!

Modern technology and it's inventivness to entertain us bored folk fascinates me. Bring them on.

I love all the inventive responses!!

Personally, I've not flown transatlantic, but have flow trans-pacific on several occasions and never gotten a second glance regarding my DVD-enabled laptop. A few FAs have paused behind my chair to watch for a couple of minutes.

In general, my noise cancellation headphone seem to grab more attention because the size makes the FAs think it's a FM radio headphone.

Hey, don't make fun of German bureaucracy until you have lived it. After 4+ years in Deutschland in the early 90's I can tell you that their motto is, "Ve have vays to make you cuoperate!"

For a country that touts themselves as the technological leader of the continent, their telephone system is still pulse-based and baud rates are a joke. But they do have push button phones now!

But, remember, you can set your watch by the train system. And it is so much fun walking through Frankfurt Flughafen and seeing all of the Uzzi's proudly displayed.

But I will always be so proud of my BMW as I was the day I drove it off the end of the line in Stuttgart! And the gemuchlesheit is something that just doesn't translate into English. I'll take my doppel bock by the liter, please. And don't forget the Nurnberger sausages, the same ones enjoyed by Mark Twain 100 years ago.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Keep in mind that you can rent dvd players (& movies) at select airports. The prices are quite reasonable ($10 per day including one movie + $5 for each extra movie) . See:
http://www.inmotionpictures.com/h_service.htm

Clearly, use of DVD must be allowed else these guys would be out of business.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif Hilarious... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Well, the Telekom introduced ISDN a while ago and advertised it as a tool for videoconferencing, that was soon dubbed "Ich seh' Dich nicht" (I can't see you)...

Yeah, right, just as you can set your watch by the departure times of the UA shuttle http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Viele Gruesse

Mizu

[This message has been edited by Mizu (edited 06-05-2000).]