New Rules for Laptop Bags
August 7th, 2008Finally! Some good news from the airline industry. Starting August 16, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow passengers to leave their laptops in their bags at the security checkpoints – provided you’ve stashed your computer inside a “checkpoint-friendly” bag.
So what makes a laptop case “checkpoint friendly” and ready for scanning? According to the TSA, its attributes include:
Some of the bags that meet these new standards are already available, while others will be available shortly. And although the Administration isn’t officially endorsing any bag manufacturers, they have said that TSA-approved laptop bags are being produced by Mobile Edge, Skooba Design and Targus Inc.
With testing of bags already complete, the TSA says that butterfly-style bags, tri-fold bags, sleeve-style laptop cases and tray-style bags have all passed. However, accordion-style laptop cases and backpack-style laptop bags have set off alarms, so if you’re in the market for a new, “checkpoint-friendly” laptop case, take heed and pick up one by the vendors mentioned above – and in one of the styles that won’t set off alarms.
For additional information or to see illustrations of appropriate bag styles, visit TSA.gov.
