7 ms·

This is actually my #1 fear in flying in 2016. Some rough baggage packing under the plane that damages a laptop battery in the gate checked bag. Every time I f

This is actually my #1 fear in flying in 2016. Some rough baggage packing under the plane that damages a laptop battery in the gate checked bag. Every time I fly I watch people gate check bags with laptops and more even after the announcement to "remove all lithium batteries & electronics". I wish more people understood how dangerous this could be and would take 3 minutes to take electronics out and carry them on board with them.

ubernostrum 10y ago
Even for gate-checked bags, the gate agent is supposed to announce that lithium batteries cannot be in the bag, and should probably confirm that with the passenger when tagging the bag.
- nradov 10y ago
  Some people have no idea what battery chemistry is in their laptops. Especially for models where the battery isn't even removable. I don't mean this as a criticism, it's just not necessarily something that everyone notices.
  - leetrout 10y ago
    Yea, I think this is really the crux of it. The GA nor the pax know whether or not a battery or device is Li-ion. Edit: or I guess if it was just a battery they could read on it but I bet that never ever happens.
  - wfunction 10y ago
    Are you saying there are laptops with batteries that don't fall in this dangerous category, or are you saying people don't know that all laptop batteries fall in this category?
    - antocv 10y ago
      There are people who think their laptops do not have a battery at all and run on their own power like a human does.
      - wfunction 10y ago
        ...well, I didn't see that one coming!
        Xylakant 10y ago
        I know people that still believe that the power for cordless drills gets transmitted from the charger to the drill via something like wifi. They're super-careful not to stand in the LOS between the drill and the charger.
        brewdad 10y ago
        Some people probably shouldn't operate power tools. Then again, with that level of caution, they are probably safer than many "experts".
- leetrout 10y ago
  I definitely hear the announcements a lot... whether or not they follow up "e-cigarettes and spare lithium batteries" with "and other electronics" or "such as those found in personal electronics" is very hit and miss. At my regional airport they just hand out the tags and don't ask any other questions or offer any other guidance to each individual passenger. It's just the one main blanket announcement.
  - robryan 10y ago
    I think unless they are checking for them to the same extent that they are checking for liquids and weapons in carry on it is likely that plenty of people aren't following the rules either intentionally or from ignorance.
    - homero 10y ago
      Security theater
robryan 10y ago
A while back I checked a second, relatively bulky laptop that I was carrying for a new employee. As I understood it the current rule is that you shouldn't check a laptop battery that isn't plugged in but it is fine as part of the laptop? On another flight I also checked a power bank before learning of the rules surrounding them, which depending on capacity could be a lot more dangerous.
- leetrout 10y ago
  I'm not sure about specifics there. It's an interesting thing to think about though... whether a battery with exposed leads has more potential to short vs being attached to something. (I would assume the exposed leads would be worse.)
  - ghshephard 10y ago
    You never ever leave leads exposed. That is absolutely the fastest way to start a fire. Either pack it with the equipment, or make damn sure you have some industrial covers for those leads. And yes, I have had people do a piss poor job securing their leads, and then have the equipment rub up against metal, and "Poof" - instant smoke. (Thankfully the luggage was with us, so we were able to stop it before it became a fire)
eggy 10y ago
Me too. I fly a lot, and the thought of a damaged battery, or somebody leaving their notebook in sleep mode, packed in a suitcase of flammable clothes with all of the other luggage gives me anxiety at times. If I have both laptops with me, I check the heavier one, but take the battery out and carry it on. I fly from Hong Kong to the US quite a bit (16 hours), so alternate landing sites are few and far between. That, and everyone seems to be carrying a Samsung Galaxy or iPhone from HK.
- revicon 10y ago
  > but take the battery out obviously not a mac user
  - jen729w 10y ago
    Clearly not. Mac users are used to their laptops actually going to sleep when they shut the lid. My work HP, however, is regularly scorching hot when I get home as it's been on in my backpack the whole time despite me shutting the lid and despite the instruction to 'go to sleep when the lid is closed'. How there's not some sort of thermal cutoff I do not know, but I know for a fact that there is not. Edit: by 'regularly' I mean a few times a year. Still far, far too many.
    - orthoganol 10y ago
      For the record, this happens a few times a year too with my MacBook Pro.
      - the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
        Then you should probably return it. This is not normal behavior.
      - m_mueller 10y ago
        VM user?
    - TeMPOraL 10y ago
pkaeding 10y ago
It seems unwise to gate-check a bag with a laptop anyway, given the way the luggage handlers throw bags around. Gate-checking a roller board suitcase with clothing is one thing, but I wouldn't check anything fragile or particularly expensive.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Sometimes there is no choice, e.g. in the case when I carry two or three laptops for work reasons, and the weight limit of carry-on baggage means only one fits in hand luggage. A laptop packed properly in a hard bag full of clothes isn't very likely to take any hit, though. If the baggage handlers run over it by a truck, then it may be damaged, but not in plane.
  - brazzledazzle 10y ago
    If it was for work reasons I'd just ship them.
    - ghshephard 10y ago
      Ironically, for people who travel a lot, the exact opposite happens and we are frequently "encouraged" to use our baggage allotment to reduce courier costs for the company. The business model is obvious, and has been tried at least once: http://qz.com/309185/this-startup-wants-to-pay-you-to-fly-with-strangers-stuff-in-your-luggage/ http://qz.com/309185/this-startup-wants-to-pay-you-to-fly-wi...
    - ptaipale 10y ago
      Particularly for confidential things, or when in real hurry, I really can't ship it, I have to carry it along. A typical case is that we have software in development, I'm about to demonstrate it to a customer tomorrow, and before I leave for the trip, I'm making the final build and tweaking of demonstration data set at office and installing in the laptop that I use as a demo server. By the time I'm ready, the DHL shipments for the day have gone and if I ship it, it would be there one day after my demo. So it has to be in my luggage. Yes, checked-in luggage may also be lost and delayed, but with direct flights, I'll be fine as long as I'm not going to CDG (Paris).
coldtea 10y ago
>I wish more people understood how dangerous this could be and would take 3 minutes to take electronics out and carry them on board with them. All kinds of electronics are in the cargo, including tons of packages of electronics mailed to users in another city/country. Why would it be any more dangerous to have them in cargo than on board the passenger seats? Obviously cargo has better wall protection, and automatic fire extinguish systems...
- leetrout 10y ago
  There are a lot of mixed reviews of the effectiveness of halon on li-ion batteries on fire. It definitely failed on actual battery cargo. One battery in luggage may be stoppable but I wouldn't want to find out first hand. https://batterybro.com/blogs/18650-wholesale-battery-reviews/19673027-plane-safety-systems-are-confirmed-to-not-stop-lithium-ion-battery-fires https://batterybro.com/blogs/18650-wholesale-battery-reviews...

ubernostrum 10y ago

Even for gate-checked bags, the gate agent is supposed to announce that lithium batteries cannot be in the bag, and should probably confirm that with the passenger when tagging the bag.

nradov 10y ago
Some people have no idea what battery chemistry is in their laptops. Especially for models where the battery isn't even removable. I don't mean this as a criticism, it's just not necessarily something that everyone notices.
- leetrout 10y ago
  Yea, I think this is really the crux of it. The GA nor the pax know whether or not a battery or device is Li-ion. Edit: or I guess if it was just a battery they could read on it but I bet that never ever happens.
- wfunction 10y ago
  Are you saying there are laptops with batteries that don't fall in this dangerous category, or are you saying people don't know that all laptop batteries fall in this category?
  - antocv 10y ago
    There are people who think their laptops do not have a battery at all and run on their own power like a human does.
    - wfunction 10y ago
      ...well, I didn't see that one coming!
      - Xylakant 10y ago
        I know people that still believe that the power for cordless drills gets transmitted from the charger to the drill via something like wifi. They're super-careful not to stand in the LOS between the drill and the charger.
        brewdad 10y ago
        Some people probably shouldn't operate power tools. Then again, with that level of caution, they are probably safer than many "experts".
leetrout 10y ago
I definitely hear the announcements a lot... whether or not they follow up "e-cigarettes and spare lithium batteries" with "and other electronics" or "such as those found in personal electronics" is very hit and miss. At my regional airport they just hand out the tags and don't ask any other questions or offer any other guidance to each individual passenger. It's just the one main blanket announcement.
- robryan 10y ago
  I think unless they are checking for them to the same extent that they are checking for liquids and weapons in carry on it is likely that plenty of people aren't following the rules either intentionally or from ignorance.
  - homero 10y ago
    Security theater

robryan 10y ago

A while back I checked a second, relatively bulky laptop that I was carrying for a new employee. As I understood it the current rule is that you shouldn't check a laptop battery that isn't plugged in but it is fine as part of the laptop? On another flight I also checked a power bank before learning of the rules surrounding them, which depending on capacity could be a lot more dangerous.

leetrout 10y ago
I'm not sure about specifics there. It's an interesting thing to think about though... whether a battery with exposed leads has more potential to short vs being attached to something. (I would assume the exposed leads would be worse.)
- ghshephard 10y ago
  You never ever leave leads exposed. That is absolutely the fastest way to start a fire. Either pack it with the equipment, or make damn sure you have some industrial covers for those leads. And yes, I have had people do a piss poor job securing their leads, and then have the equipment rub up against metal, and "Poof" - instant smoke. (Thankfully the luggage was with us, so we were able to stop it before it became a fire)

eggy 10y ago

Me too. I fly a lot, and the thought of a damaged battery, or somebody leaving their notebook in sleep mode, packed in a suitcase of flammable clothes with all of the other luggage gives me anxiety at times. If I have both laptops with me, I check the heavier one, but take the battery out and carry it on. I fly from Hong Kong to the US quite a bit (16 hours), so alternate landing sites are few and far between. That, and everyone seems to be carrying a Samsung Galaxy or iPhone from HK.

revicon 10y ago
> but take the battery out obviously not a mac user
- jen729w 10y ago
  Clearly not. Mac users are used to their laptops actually going to sleep when they shut the lid. My work HP, however, is regularly scorching hot when I get home as it's been on in my backpack the whole time despite me shutting the lid and despite the instruction to 'go to sleep when the lid is closed'. How there's not some sort of thermal cutoff I do not know, but I know for a fact that there is not. Edit: by 'regularly' I mean a few times a year. Still far, far too many.
  - orthoganol 10y ago
    For the record, this happens a few times a year too with my MacBook Pro.
    - the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
      Then you should probably return it. This is not normal behavior.
    - m_mueller 10y ago
      VM user?
  - TeMPOraL 10y ago

pkaeding 10y ago

It seems unwise to gate-check a bag with a laptop anyway, given the way the luggage handlers throw bags around. Gate-checking a roller board suitcase with clothing is one thing, but I wouldn't check anything fragile or particularly expensive.

ptaipale 10y ago
Sometimes there is no choice, e.g. in the case when I carry two or three laptops for work reasons, and the weight limit of carry-on baggage means only one fits in hand luggage. A laptop packed properly in a hard bag full of clothes isn't very likely to take any hit, though. If the baggage handlers run over it by a truck, then it may be damaged, but not in plane.
- brazzledazzle 10y ago
  If it was for work reasons I'd just ship them.
  - ghshephard 10y ago
    Ironically, for people who travel a lot, the exact opposite happens and we are frequently "encouraged" to use our baggage allotment to reduce courier costs for the company. The business model is obvious, and has been tried at least once: http://qz.com/309185/this-startup-wants-to-pay-you-to-fly-with-strangers-stuff-in-your-luggage/ http://qz.com/309185/this-startup-wants-to-pay-you-to-fly-wi...
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    Particularly for confidential things, or when in real hurry, I really can't ship it, I have to carry it along. A typical case is that we have software in development, I'm about to demonstrate it to a customer tomorrow, and before I leave for the trip, I'm making the final build and tweaking of demonstration data set at office and installing in the laptop that I use as a demo server. By the time I'm ready, the DHL shipments for the day have gone and if I ship it, it would be there one day after my demo. So it has to be in my luggage. Yes, checked-in luggage may also be lost and delayed, but with direct flights, I'll be fine as long as I'm not going to CDG (Paris).

coldtea 10y ago

>I wish more people understood how dangerous this could be and would take 3 minutes to take electronics out and carry them on board with them. All kinds of electronics are in the cargo, including tons of packages of electronics mailed to users in another city/country. Why would it be any more dangerous to have them in cargo than on board the passenger seats? Obviously cargo has better wall protection, and automatic fire extinguish systems...

leetrout 10y ago
There are a lot of mixed reviews of the effectiveness of halon on li-ion batteries on fire. It definitely failed on actual battery cargo. One battery in luggage may be stoppable but I wouldn't want to find out first hand. https://batterybro.com/blogs/18650-wholesale-battery-reviews/19673027-plane-safety-systems-are-confirmed-to-not-stop-lithium-ion-battery-fires https://batterybro.com/blogs/18650-wholesale-battery-reviews...