Has anyone had any success cancelling / rerouting a planned QR flight as a result of this new ban? Is QR waiving change / cancel fees?

Does the Doha Airport have the service where you can get your luggage wrapped with plastic? That seems to me to be the only safe way to put my laptop in my suitcase.

RCyyz since the ban also includes Montreal, at least as far as QR is concerned, there are no alternative flights possible with QR. As you can see on http://www.qatarairways.com/dk/en/travel-alerts.page QR are taking steps to ease the problem. The details have yet to be published.

Given these sparse facts I would imagine that QR would not allow cancelling/rerouting without payment according to the fare rules. But it is probably too early for QR to have worked through all the consequences and repercussions so patience is required!

I will be flying MPM-DOH-MIA-SAN in two weeks. There is a nearly 8 hour layover in DOH. What are the odds of having my iPad in the cabin for the first leg to DOH and then checking it at DOH? My only baggage will be carried on at MPM.

Seems doable, right?

Maybe gate-check? I don't think agents will be advised to do anything when
checking into a flight from another location. And regardless of destination, you
would have to collect your bags at US entry point for CBP.

skunker as http://www.qatarairways.com/dk/en/travel-alerts.page says 'Qatar Airways has made special arrangements to assist passengers in securing their devices in the aircrafts' baggage hold. Prohibited devices - including but not limited to laptops, tablets, DVD players and electronic games - must be carried in checked luggage only.' This suggests that QR are working on a solution for the DOH-US sectors which would result in no change on the MPM-DOH light. I am afraid that you need to be patient and see if QRs solution actually solves your problem.

Yes it has two wrapper stands. They are in the main check in hall, Not in QATAR Premium entry area. One in front of the QATAR check in pier. One in front of the Other Airline Piers. Fairly easy to see and find. Cheers

Thank you, very helpful.

Hopefully QR allow that accommodation. Etihad is saying it has to be checked from your origination.

So does my employer, but we've already had communication today saying:

For these airports and countries only, and pending additional guidance, xxxxxxx employees are authorised to secure their electronic assets in their checked-in hold luggage as long as the devices are fully powered down and not left in sleep mode. Security has waived Procedure xxx, which states “During travel, placing xxxxxxx assets in checked airline baggage is prohibited.” Note that all other sections of the policy apply.

I have my return flight BKK-DOH-JFK in early April, having flown the outbound before the laptop ban. Actually on my return I do not need to go to the USA, I need to go to Montreal. I booked the QR flight to JFK because Montreal is not a daily flight and QR is not flying to YUL on that day, so I booked separately JFK-YUL on AA (different ticket).

I called QR and asked to be re-routed at no extra charge because I actually do not need to go to the USA, I booked my flight before the ban and even flew the outbound before the ban, and as a business class traveller it is not conceivable that I will be on a plane for 20+ hours without working on my laptop, not mentioning the risk of damage + theft if it's in the cargo hold.

They refused to waive the change fee for a re-routing. I told them that as much as I like QR, if they are inflexible on this issue, they will lose my business in the future and the several business class bookings I already have in the pipeline between Asia and North America. Despite my arguments, they won't budge.

We'll see what happens because it's still early days and they could change their mind on how they will handle the situation, but I am not bluffing about moving my business somewhere else. There are lots of options for long-haul travel between N.A. and Asia.

That's what I was afraid of.

Where have you seen this? Is Montreal also included for TK?

That's as secure as a lock on your luggage (TSA friendly or not).

They are free to open any bag for any reason at any point.

I asked the wrapping service at SFO about it several years ago and they told me they try to re-wrap anything wrapped and opened during inspection at SFO (they had another wrapping station wherever the checked bag inspection occurs), but of course they can't do everything and can't accompany the bag on it's journey, and it doesn't really matter since they can open the bag for any reason anywhere.



I'm curious about the statement on QRs website to see what the special arrangements are going to be.

Should be as easy as providing a baggage tag for your personal device(s) in the carry on bag at the point of check-in for flights with connections to destinations where such carry on restrictions apply and then depositing that tag and the carry on with devices at the gate or a designated area for such.