Can You Bring A Laptop On A Plane? Complete Guide

Working from any corner of the world has become very common. All you need to do is turn on a laptop and set it to enter your workspace. Many jobs like freelancing require you to keep in touch with clients anytime.

For such cases, everyone wants to keep a laptop on a plane during traveling, especially on a long flight. But can you bring a laptop on a plane?

Laptops have lithium batteries fit inside that may cause an explosion on a plane. Such dangerous goods like laptops have additional rules to follow.

Let’s have a detailed look at all the guidelines, packing, and precautions for bringing a laptop on a plane.

Can you bring a laptop on a plane?

Now, you don’t need to worry about your e-tasks as you can bring a laptop on a plane. But the restriction applies if you have an Apple Macbook with you. Apple laptops purely contain lithium batteries and have a high chance of catching fire at high temperatures.

Before boarding, check the airline restrictions solely because some domestic airlines may allow you to have such laptops. As per TSA,

Laptop on a plane TSA

Can You Bring a Laptop Charger on a Plane?

Boarding without a laptop charger is the biggest mistake that you can make especially if you are on a long flight. Sometimes you forget to pack a charger in your carry-on because of its weight.

But don’t do that because you don’t know when the flight gets late and you need a charger. Pack a charger in your carry-on to avoid any inconvenience. Thanks to the TSA allows the passenger to have a charger on a plane.

Can you bring laptops with spare batteries on a plane?

You have to keep in mind the spare batteries are more than 100 watt-hours as they aren’t allowed on a plane. If you want to bring them, you need airline approval to have them on a flight.

But the latest laptops don’t have spare batteries so don’t be a fuss. Let’s consider TSA’s official statement for bringing spare batteries.

laptops with spare batteries on a plane

Can you bring your laptop in your checked luggage?

Laptops with adjustable batteries are allowed to pack in checked luggage. Although these personal electronic devices have batteries, FAA still has no restriction on packing them in checked luggage. 

Before packing the laptop in luggage, make sure that it is properly turned off and has no clue of activation. If you are traveling to other countries than the USA, it’s better to confirm from airlines before packing laptops in checked luggage. 

Can you take laptops on a domestic flight?

According to the TSA, you are allowed to bring laptops with no limitation. You can take as many as you want; no one has an objection to it. But you have to keep in mind the total weight allowed in carry-on. TSA only limits those devices that have spare lithium batteries with them.

Laptops contain integrated batteries, so restrictions are not applied on these. Also, laptops require extra screening on checkpoints, as we have found the official TSA tweet on this.

tsa-laptops-on-planes

Can you take a laptop on board for international flights?

Yes, you can take a laptop on board for international flights with no quantity limitations. But before taking more than 2 laptops, keep in mind that you have to pay customs tax as per laptop amount. Custom duty tax differs from country to country, so confirm the airline’s custom tax before boarding.

How to Prepare Laptops for Flights?

Before boarding, keep your laptop fully charged so that you don’t need to plug it in immediately on the plane. Make sure that you shut down your laptop properly or put it in airplane mode as per the guidelines by the airline.

Putting a laptop on airplane mode doesn’t mean you will not be able to use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you can use them. Keep your laptop at a place where you can easily bring it out for extra screening. By following these simple tips you can use your laptop on a plane without any hassle. 

Can You Bring a Laptop on a Plane Without a Case?

Taking care of the expensive goods beforehand is better than amending them afterward. You can bring a laptop on a plane without a case but totally at your own risk. As the laptop is delicate electronic, your negligence can lead you to heavy damage.

So it’s better to put it in a case but still, if you want to carry it without any separate case, bring it out of the bag for extra screening at the checkpoint.

Do I Have to Remove my Laptop with TSA Precheck?

No, you don’t need to remove your laptop from the bag for extra screening. Essentials in the bag are pre-checked so you don’t have to pick them out for the checking.

TSA precheck saves you from long screening lines so you should consider the TSA precheck to avoid time wastage.

How Many Laptops Can You Bring on a Plane?

There are no limitations on the amount of laptops. You can pack as many laptops as you want. But it is obvious that a person can carry 1 or 2 laptops at a time on a flight and not more than that as you have other belongings as well. 

You can carry multiple laptops through airport security. You have to keep in mind that the total weight that the airline allows in carry-on doesn’t exceed due to laptops. 

Do Security Scan Laptops Separately?

Not only laptops, other electronic appliances are scanned separately at the checkpoint. Security officers ask you to put the laptop out of hand luggage for extra screening. It will make better examination of any hidden explosive. 

But now many international airports are updating their systems so that passengers don’t need to pick their appliances out of the luggage for screening. So it is possible in the near future that security don’t scan laptops separately.

How Big of a Laptop Can You Bring on a Plane?

You just need to assure the airline’s bag dimensions which they allow on a plane. Inside the bag dimensions you can bring any size or brand of a laptop. 

Shortly, a standard size of a laptop will have no problem with the airline’s limitations. If you are a regular traveler, we recommend you to buy a small laptop that you can carry easily on a plane.

Can you use a laptop on a flight?

You can’t use your laptop during taking off or landing a plane. It is because electronic equipment can interact with aircraft machinery, so it’s better to switch off your devices properly. Airline staff will let you know about the plane’s landing so you can shut it down on time. 

Furthermore, you can use a laptop during the mid-flight. Even some airlines have internet facilities to easily do your work on a flight. When you are not using a laptop during a flight, don’t keep it in an overhead bin.

The laptop has more chances of getting cracked or falling on the overhead bin. So do whatever you can to save your precious laptop.

Final words

Can you bring a laptop on a plane? The answer is yes. Traveling with such delicate electronic devices can be challenging. But if you pack them properly according to TSA guidelines, you’ll surely don’t face any trouble. Comment and give your feedback below. We’d love to hear good reviews from you.

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