Airlines Worldwide Are Banning MacBook Models in Checked Luggage Regardless of Recall Status (gizmodo.com) 62
Following an Apple notice that a "limited number" of 15-inch MacBook Pros may have faulty batteries that could potentially create a fire safety risk, multiple airlines have barred transporting Apple laptops in their checked luggage -- in some cases, regardless of whether they fall under the recall. From a report: Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia had joined the growing list of airlines enforcing policies around the MacBook Pros. In a statement by email, a spokesperson for Qantas told Gizmodo that "[u]ntil further notice, all 15 inch Apple MacBook Pros must be carried in cabin baggage and switched off for flight following a recall notice issued by Apple." Virgin Australia, meanwhile, said in a "Dangerous Goods" notice on its website that any MacBook model "must be placed in carry-on baggage only. No Apple MacBooks are permitted in checked in baggage until further notice."
Both Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways also recently instituted policies around the MacBook Pros. In a statement on its website over the weekend, Singapore Airlines said that passengers are prohibited from bringing affected models on its aircraft either in their carry-ons or in their checked luggage "until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer." Bloomberg previously reported that airlines TUI Group Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Air Italy, and Air Transat also introduced bans on the laptops. The cargo activity of all four is managed by Total Cargo Expertise, which reportedly said in an internal notice to its staff that the affected devices are "prohibited on board any of our mandate carriers."
Both Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways also recently instituted policies around the MacBook Pros. In a statement on its website over the weekend, Singapore Airlines said that passengers are prohibited from bringing affected models on its aircraft either in their carry-ons or in their checked luggage "until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer." Bloomberg previously reported that airlines TUI Group Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Air Italy, and Air Transat also introduced bans on the laptops. The cargo activity of all four is managed by Total Cargo Expertise, which reportedly said in an internal notice to its staff that the affected devices are "prohibited on board any of our mandate carriers."
Overheard at the Apple mothership (Score:3, Interesting)
Should we do independent testing of the batteries in our new MacBooks?
Let's check with the accountants.
No, we need to maximize shareholder value by cutting costs. We are sitting on one of the largest piles of cash in corporate America, but we could always have more...
Besides... what's the worst that could happen?
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Should we do independent testing of the batteries in our new MacBooks?
Let's check with the accountants.
No, we need to maximize shareholder value by cutting costs. We are sitting on one of the largest piles of cash in corporate America, but we could always have more...
Besides... what's the worst that could happen?
Apparently the worst that could happen is a non-Apple laptop catching fire.
Must be something different in Window laptops that makes it impossible to catch fire.
Re: Overheard at the Apple mothership (Score:2)
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Apple /always/ says âoea very small number are affectedâ whenever something bad happens. When the batteries affect 480,000 laptops sold over a year and a half, thatâ(TM)s a very small number.
Apple BAD!
My point is this. We have people screaming bloody murder, as if the issue of burning laptops is an Apple only thing.
Yet we have HP - https://www.theverge.com/2019/... [theverge.com]
We have Dell - https://www.schmidtlaw.com/del... [schmidtlaw.com]
We have video - https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/vid... [go.com]
Yes, my friend, Apple laptops can catch fire. Why? Because they use Lithium batteries. Just like most every modern laptop I know of. You want high energy density in a small form factor? welcome to your LiPo!
There will be
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With the Dell and HP situations, we have exact numbers and models. With Apple, have "a few" of "some models" - nothing specific. If you can't easily check if the laptop has a problem (short of going to Apple, entering a serial number, and hoping it's correct), then it's a lot easier just to ban them all. Apple is doing this to itself...
When you hate Apple so much that you are willing to die for a Windows laptop.
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Huh? Do you know how many Apple computers are subject to the recall? In the case of the HP and Dell recalls - we do. That's the difference.
Is the recall rate 100 percent? Not one single bad battery slipped through the cracks?
Will batteries not recalled ever have an explosive failure?
Answer 1 - I doubt it. I havent seen a 100 percent recall rate yet.
Answer 2 - Probably. Given answer 1, I'll bet there are still bad batteries out there.I'm not going to bet my life on that. You can if you like.
Answer 3 - If you answer no, you don't understand LiPo batteries and what causes them to fail..
When I buy LiPo's I have to get special shipping. Wr
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Damn, dude. When you are such an Apple fanboi that you resort to whataboutisms to defend chronically defective products.
That wasn't a whatabouism....dude. I am saying that any laptop with a lithium battery is a possible explosion/fire hazard.
An Apple is
A Dell is
An HP is
An HP Compaq is A Chromebook is
A (fill in the blank) laptop is
Lynwood Rooster is willing to fly in a plane with any of those but the Apple. for a weird reason that he thinks that only recalled batteries fail. I'm not - I don't want any laptop in the luggage compartment.
It isn't the computer, it's the battery. In addition to my iMac, I have a Dell
Re: Overheard at the Apple mothership (Score:2)
It wasn't a very small number of iPhone 6's that bent, and/or ended up with early failing and/or bulging batteries. A large enough number, apparently, that Apple felt the need to throttle iOS for this "small number" of devices, only to get caught later, and then charge its customers money to fix the problem (the Nexus 6P had battery issues and came around around the same time, and guess what Google did? Upgrade you to a Pixel XL for free, even a year after the warranty had expired.)
The silver lining in this
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I guess the primary difference is that when a Dell catches fire there are no corporate sycophant's falling over themselves to point out that other laptops also catch fire.
I'm a bit confused by what you are trying to achieve here.. Are you claiming that I'm unfairly singling out Apple for criticism? Read my comment history.. I call them like I see them, and my last comment about Apple was actually a complement about how much more secure Apple's app ecosystem and permission model is compared to Android.
I sugg
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Do you want to not have fires start in the luggage compartments of planes? No.
Arrrgh, dumbass me! That should read "Do you want to have fires start in the luggage compartments of planes? No.
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Ever replace a batter in a Dell, HP, etc? It's a self contained battery. You can remove it. Different standard. Ever replace one in a macbook? Didn't think so. It's glued in. It's possible to catch it on fire by simply replacing it. It is a fire hazard.
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Ever replace a batter in a Dell, HP, etc? It's a self contained battery. You can remove it. Different standard. Ever replace one in a macbook? Didn't think so. It's glued in. It's possible to catch it on fire by simply replacing it. It is a fire hazard.
I'm writing this on a Dell XPS 15.
Tell me the easy way to replace the battery in that. Defend your claim.
Next - sorry, but I've replaced a number of batteries in MacBooks.It isn't convenient, but a competent Tech can do it without breaking a sweat. And the procdedure will be similar if I have to replace my Dell battery.
You really need to learn about batteries and laptops if you are trying to claim that automagically, a MacBook is a bigger fire hazard than other computers. I've already dug up the cita
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No problem. Did you really respond to that with a serious face?
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/D... [ifixit.com]
My wife could replace the battery in your computer. No problem.
Here's how to do it in a macbook pro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
You buy a kit for it. It has all kinds of warnings about how it can catch on fire. Don't do this in your house, do it outside, bad fumes, have an extinguisher, etc. You have to dissolve the glue. It's PIA. BTW, that "competent tech"? They charge about $600 to do that job for about a
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No problem. Did you really respond to that with a serious face?
Hey - I've been dealing with people that don't believe in physics in this tread. So by this point, I'm a bit lacking in the parsing department?
Anyhow, If it can be opened, I'm happy to work on it.
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Ever replace a batter in a Dell, HP, etc? It's a self contained battery. You can remove it. Different standard. Ever replace one in a macbook? Didn't think so. It's glued in. It's possible to catch it on fire by simply replacing it. It is a fire hazard.
By the way, I also have an HP envy. Its full metal jacket
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FMJ? "Who's the cock sucker that just signed his own death warrant?" Love that movie. Do you have a rifle that uses a bullet like that? I own many. I've been shooting for over 40 years.
HP, Dell, Apple, I'd be happy if a company handed me any of those to use for work. Depending on age and model of course. Right now I happen to have a Dell with SSD disk and 16 GB of main memory. Runs winders though. It gets the job done. The last one was an HP. That worked well for many years.
I'd prefer the apple of course. T
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FMJ? "Who's the cock sucker that just signed his own death warrant?" Love that movie. Do you have a rifle that uses a bullet like that? I own many. I've been shooting for over 40 years.
Since the NRA Marksmanship program In Boy Scouts in the late1960's. My favorite part of Boy Scouts.
HP, Dell, Apple, I'd be happy if a company handed me any of those to use for work. Depending on age and model of course.
Ohhh, I think the IT people should have a locker to store their stuff in. I've wanted to shoot up a computer sooooo bad some days.
Right now I happen to have a Dell with SSD disk and 16 GB of main memory. Runs winders though. It gets the job done. The last one was an HP. That worked well for many years.
I'd prefer the apple of course. The others would likely run Winders.
My regular drive in my Envy went bad, so I replaced it with a TByte SSD. Damn that's sweet. and fast. Going ot put an SSD in the wife's MacBook soon as well.
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ssd is no joke. I have an old Dell core 2 duo. Man, with the drive it came with it was painful. I slapped in a 100 Gig ssd and it' actually not bad. I'll probably give that machine to my grandson soon. He's not quite old enough for a computer yet.
My Son gave him a tablet, that he stepped on in less than a day.
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Well that has a huge upside (Score:2, Flamebait)
Who is stupid enough to check a laptop of any kind?
It seems like this move would have the great side effect of reducing laptop theft from luggage.
I can understand them not wanting to have to rely on checking for specific models, but my thought is why should only Apple laptops be covered here...
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It is a complex problem. Technically any lithium battery is a possible fire risk, Remember the Note 7's Trying to keep track on makes and models seems like tricky subject, as much as we want to point at Apple and say how bad of a company they really are. This type of problem can happen to any vendor. Sony, Samsung, Apple, it seems that all the big hardware manufactures had gotten a lot of press of their products catching on fire due to bad battery design. I should also add Boeing too who's early models
It's not all lithium's (Score:2)
It's only the small group of lithium-cobalt derived chemistries. There is no shortage of other lithium's that don't catch fire when crushed, shorted out or over-charged.
BTW, you'll be thinking 787, not 777.
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PS: Sadly, none of the others are being used in laptops or cellphones.
Re: Well that has a huge upside (Score:2)
The note 7 did end up getting put to use:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=... [youtube.com]
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Who is stupid enough to check a laptop of any kind?
It seems like this move would have the great side effect of reducing laptop theft from luggage.
I can understand them not wanting to have to rely on checking for specific models, but my thought is why should only Apple laptops be covered here...
It's not that Windows laptops are immune to fires, just that it's so much more fun to bash Apple.
But to your first question, it is exceptionally stupid to allow your laptop out of your sight. If you are taking your laptop on a plane trip, you better understand that once out of your sight, someone is very likely to want to take a look at it. Especially overseas travel where you go through customs.
In fact, a freshly imaged new drive or new laptop is a smart move for traveling.
Apple products (Score:1)
Apple products are banned because they are the fire hazards. even Apple have accepted that.
It is not rocket science
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I've done it with a Lenovo and an old MBP. no one stole those
Who checks apple hardware as they are easy fence (Score:2)
Who checks apple hardware as they are easy to fence and airlines say we are not responsible for lost or stolen computers
I'm confused (Score:3, Informative)
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Haven't ALL laptops and other items with Lithium-Ion batteries been banned from checked baggage for years?
That was my understanding as well.
Every time I fly, I have to tick a checkbox that says I don't have prohibited items in my checked luggage. This includes undeclared firearms, ammunition, lighters, oxygen generators, flammable solvents, and LITHIUM BATTERIES.
It has been that way for years.
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No. Loose batteries are prohibited in checked luggage. Batteries installed in devices are not.
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No. Loose batteries are prohibited in checked luggage. Batteries installed in devices are not.
Strange . . . when flying from Frankfurt a few years ago, they flagged a flashlight in my luggage, and was told, to take the batteries out of the flashlight.
I was kinda sorta guessing that no matter what you do . . . it is wrong.
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On top of that, what rational traveler would check a laptop in the first place?
I can't imagine a quicker way of losing a $2000 laptop than to pack it in my luggage and hand it over to airport personnel.
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No. [faa.gov] Loose batteries are carry-on only, with weight/power limits and quantity limits for Li batteries.
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Is not sufficient to support the statement that "ALL laptops and other items with Lithium-Ion batteries been banned from checked baggage for years" is false. U.S. laptops are not banned from checked luggage. Q.E.D.
Another short answer brought to you simple by logic.
why limiting to macbook (Score:4, Insightful)
Should ban every Apple products for any air transport.
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Not to defend Apple or anything but ...
Throwing the baby out with the bath water, much?
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Samsung devices have actually caught fire and blown up in record numbers. Let's ban those too. And Google devices too. And HP. And Dell (and thus Alienware).
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Should ban every Apple products for any air transport.
Except the Macbook "Air" obviously!
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Should ban every Apple products for any air transport.
oh, an apple hateboi!
Re: why limiting to macbook (Score:1)
There are a lot of Apple haters on Slashdot. Nerds have hated macs since 1984. Slashdot is a nerd site
Now, there has been a trendy appeal of nerds for a while, so some poseurs have shown up with their Apple gear.
What year is it! (Score:1)
It's 2019 the world has changed. Nerd or Geek are not insults anymore. The computer in your pocket is the measure of who you are and MSU has been leading the box office for years.
Using the word "hater" is an your emotional defence to defend a Logo like a football team. I talk about price, performance, durability, portability, capacity, functionality, and find Apple measurably lacking in all areas apart from portability.
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I talk about price, performance, durability, portability, capacity, functionality, and find Apple measurably lacking in all areas apart from portability.
Hmm right, but why these "lacking areas" would have airlines ban all Apple products, per the starting thread?
Re: What year is it! (Score:1)
You are so right that would fall under reliability. Thank you for correcting my omission
Why only Apple? (Score:2)
Why only Apple laptops?
There are frequent laptop battery recalls for many vendors.
If you're going to knee-jerk reaction this thing, why not include all laptops?
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Because Apple has a recall for these laptops because they are a fire risk.
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Because Apple has a recall for these laptops because they are a fire risk.
It's like you replied to my comment without reading it.
Apple does not have a recall for all of their laptops. Even among the model/years with recall, it is a subset of them. Yet all Apple laptops, every single one of them, are being restricted by these carriers' policies. Apple's recall situation is pretty similar to that of other laptop makers (many/most have battery recalls), but they're being treated differently than the other brands by these carriers.
DESERVED for poor labeling! (Score:2)
APPLE refuses to put a YEAR on the bottom on the laptop; only a useless model number code. It would make it easy to handle year ranges -- but to put cryptic tiny print codes on machines that otherwise look the same and have no indicators is ASKING for problems like this!
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Other brands can make/design/rebrand/find a laptop that does not have the same problems.
When they also stop selling a great laptop, they will be recalled.
Make a great product again and no recall
Umm (Score:2)
Who in their right mind checks their incredibly expensive electronic devices anyway?
This actually makes sense (Score:2)
Baggage handlers and the like can't be expected to know the difference between the faulty fire-risk Apple laptops and other very similar looking (but not faulty) Apple laptops.
I have a few stickers (Score:2)
I have a few metallic foil stickers that says hp that should fit over the apple logo for sale. Just remember to claim it is a hackintosh if they turn it on.
It was bound to come around to bite them eventualy (Score:2)
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The serial number is clearly on them on the bottom of the case.
Just type that number into this website https://checkcoverage.apple.co... [apple.com] and there's all the information you would need on that model.
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Alternatively, you can also grab the part number from the same location on the bottom of the case.
Find the part number on this page: https://support.apple.com/en-u... [apple.com] and again it shows you all the information you would need on that model.
Death by Apple (Score:2)
Death by Apple, it's a thing. Buy Apple if you are tired of life.