Can anyone tell us if this is being enforced at LHR/LGW by VS? At checking are all laptops being checked?
Whilst I can see why they have introduced the rule, the inconsistences in security rulings are getting silly now!
Can anyone tell us if this is being enforced at LHR/LGW by VS?
On VS1 last wednesday, the FSM made an announcement just before take off saying that ALL Apple & Dell laptops were banned. Nothing else, no mention of being able to use them without batteries, just a ban.
Not wishing to challenge this, & thus risk getting the flight diverted somewhere remote & nasty with a fighter escort, I complied, my trusty macbook stayed in its 450x350x160 mm case, [:(!]
I suppose that the justification is that cabin crew can't be expected to be able to tell the difference between a faulty computer and one that isn't.
Having said that, the ban is somewhat non-selective. It's a bit like the ban on usage of PDA's even if they do have flight mode on. I guess it is a case of one bad apple spoils the barrel
Having said that, the ban is somewhat non-selective. It's a bit like the ban on usage of PDA's even if they do have flight mode on. I guess it is a case of one bad apple spoils the barrel
:D:DStrange really - going out & coming back from LAS last week, I don't remember there being an announcement about Apple/Dell laptops - but I do remember that there was an announcement that devices with "flight safe" modes should not be used at any time during the flight...
Cheers
Michael
Cheers
Michael
I'll see on Tuesday - just bought myself a Kensington in flight power adaptor to find that the kit doesn't come with nozzle N19 to fit my lappy ... was planning to take battery out and use in seat power and smile at the crew if told off! Anyone know anywhere in central London that sells these tiny little socket bits to fit in the laptop hole?
There's a plane at JFK, to fly you back from far away
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
Originally posted by David_C_H_1Can anyone tell us if this is being enforced at LHR/LGW by VS?
On VS1 last wednesday, the FSM made an announcement just before take off saying that ALL Apple & Dell laptops were banned. Nothing else, no mention of being able to use them without batteries, just a ban.
Not wishing to challenge this, & thus risk getting the flight diverted somewhere remote & nasty with a fighter escort, I complied, my trusty macbook stayed in its 450x350x160 mm case, [:(!]
Ooo! I hope IÕm not in a belligerent mood on my next virgin flight!
Used my Dell Lappy on my recent Asiana flights. No announcements, and no lappy bursting into flames mid flight. Looks like I'll be flying Asiana back to Korea after my Holiday.
Could you not squeeze your 40 winks in during taxi and take off (when the bar is closed anyway), thus not wasting any of you valuable drinking time 
Well, if I can't use my laptop on an 11 hour flight because of these rules - and particularly as I can see no reason to penalise me if I either don't have the battery in question or its been replaced - either of which I can provide evidence of - then I'm definitely flying with BA in the future.[:(]
As one contributor earlier pointed out, how exactly do VAA plan to unwind the ban at some point in the future? Having implemented a blanket ban, they've made it all the more difficult to resolve in the future. Why don't they stop and think a little before these daft ideas are implemented (I DON'T argue with the fact that something might need doing on this - but I DO argue with the way it's been done[V]) - don't the people who make up these daftly structure rules and "innovations" themselves fly??? Why don't VAA get some serious imput from the high/higher margin/value passengers they stand to lose, by talking to us first or at the time?[?]
As one contributor earlier pointed out, how exactly do VAA plan to unwind the ban at some point in the future? Having implemented a blanket ban, they've made it all the more difficult to resolve in the future. Why don't they stop and think a little before these daft ideas are implemented (I DON'T argue with the fact that something might need doing on this - but I DO argue with the way it's been done[V]) - don't the people who make up these daftly structure rules and "innovations" themselves fly??? Why don't VAA get some serious imput from the high/higher margin/value passengers they stand to lose, by talking to us first or at the time?[?]
You have got to remember VizBiz that whilst your laptop might not have the faulty battery etc VS do not know this, and saftey has got to be the priority, think of the potential problems if a dodgy battery did set on fire during a flight.
I understand it is annoying and agree that it is not going to be easy to "relax" this rule, but rules are rules and there is obviously enough concern about this issue with the industry as its not only VS doing this.
Neil:)
I understand it is annoying and agree that it is not going to be easy to "relax" this rule, but rules are rules and there is obviously enough concern about this issue with the industry as its not only VS doing this.
Neil:)
Rules are rules![:(!]
I'm sick of rules are rules. Especially, as a few people have pointed out now, how are they ever going to justify that it is a safe time to relax the rules.
No, Virgin (or any other airline staff) are not qualified to tell if a battery is safe or not, but i would hope that they are as qualified as I am to compare two 6 digit segments of serial numbers and work out if my battery if safe to continue using or not.
I'm sure replies to this will be that the Crew are too busy to go around checking serial numbers. Well it aint that hard! Make the effort or I'll find an airline that can make the effort.[n]
I'm sick of rules are rules. Especially, as a few people have pointed out now, how are they ever going to justify that it is a safe time to relax the rules.
No, Virgin (or any other airline staff) are not qualified to tell if a battery is safe or not, but i would hope that they are as qualified as I am to compare two 6 digit segments of serial numbers and work out if my battery if safe to continue using or not.
I'm sure replies to this will be that the Crew are too busy to go around checking serial numbers. Well it aint that hard! Make the effort or I'll find an airline that can make the effort.[n]
I guess everybody has their own opinion on certain issues, my laptop is not dell or apple so it does not affect me, maybe I would think differently it it did - I still firmly believe that it is better to be safe then sorry and yes I do think it is too much to expect CC to check serial numbers ete.
If it means so much to you then maybe you are right to go with another carrier and it is probably worth informing VS of the same, maybe if its influencing enough people it might make them re-think their policy, but until then rules are rules and we must abide by them.
Neil:)
If it means so much to you then maybe you are right to go with another carrier and it is probably worth informing VS of the same, maybe if its influencing enough people it might make them re-think their policy, but until then rules are rules and we must abide by them.
Neil:)
Originally posted by Attitude23
rules are rules and we must abide by them.
I am pleased to say that this is a maxim which I have the honour of ignoring. Just because it is a rule, doesn't mean you have to obey it. If it were a good rule, then that would be a different matter.
Originally posted by Attitude23
I guess everybody has their own opinion on certain issues, my laptop is not dell or apple so it does not affect me, maybe I would think differently it it did - I still firmly believe that it is better to be safe then sorry and yes I do think it is too much to expect CC to check serial numbers ete.
...
Which brings me back to the point of "Stupid Rule!". How will they ever hope to relax it if they can't check serial numbers?
I'm not against rules. Some, such as "remaining seated with your seatbelt securely fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete stop and the captain has swtiched off the seatbelt sign" is a very good idea, for the obvious reason that planes actually taxi pretty quickly and any number of things on a busy airfield could cause them to stop suddenly. But how many of us abide by it once we have used our own common sense and seen that we have arrived at the stand, and the captain is busy shutting more important things down before getting to the seatbelt light switch?
As I've said before, if i've checked and proved the saftey of my battery then it is a stupid rule!
I write this on my work Dell... and next to me is my personal (and better) Sony Laptop which I could use if I really needed a computer on my next flight. But my point is.... "Ill thought out and executed rules annoy me!"
Firstly, Jeremy [V] to your last post
PVGSLF, your last statement I agree with totally, but sometimes its to do with the bigger picture, I am sure VS have implemented this rule with the best intentions of the majority of pax in mind, obviously it is not going to please everybody, but what rule does (no smoking onboard etc), which is why writing to VS or voting with your custom might be the only option to really make them look at how sensible/practical this rule is.
Neil:)
PVGSLF, your last statement I agree with totally, but sometimes its to do with the bigger picture, I am sure VS have implemented this rule with the best intentions of the majority of pax in mind, obviously it is not going to please everybody, but what rule does (no smoking onboard etc), which is why writing to VS or voting with your custom might be the only option to really make them look at how sensible/practical this rule is.
Neil:)
Originally posted by Attitude23
Firstly, Jeremy [V] to your last post
PVGSLF, your last statement I agree with totally, but sometimes its to do with the bigger picture, I am sure VS have implemented this rule with the best intentions of the majority of pax in mind, obviously it is not going to please everybody, but what rule does (no smoking onboard etc), which is why writing to VS or voting with your custom might be the only option to really look at who sensible/practical this rule is.
Neil:)
I'm with you Jeremy! [oo]
But I also agree with you Neil, this is something that has irked me, even though on my next flight it probably won't bother me at all since I'll be wound down and heading home for a holiday. But my next flight after that will be in Y and I'll have a lot of prep to do returning from Holiday so will want to be working to ease the pain of travelling in Y again. I think I will raise the issues I have here with Customer Services. Asking them how they ever hope to lift the blanket ban if (as for PDA's with flight mode) they don't want to trouble the cabin crew with checking things. I'll also check with my second preffered flight vendor, and if they have a better policy, I'll travel with them instead. (And I can use their OLCI to bag exit row seats for free!)
OK, here's a solution - put an oik at check-in with a job-title along the lines of Obergruppenfuhrer-gerbattery-serialnumbermeister - and a copy of the publicly available battery serial numbers types, and a pad of stickers that he can date, sign, etc and stick in on the battery/laptop which then deals with the problem at a stroke; No sticker, No use of laptop [|:)]
Can't see why this wouldn't work - I personally think VAA should give me a free UCS return flight for this![y]
Viz.
Can't see why this wouldn't work - I personally think VAA should give me a free UCS return flight for this![y]
Viz.
Originally posted by vizbiz
OK, here's a solution - put an oik at check-in with a job-title along the lines of Obergruppenfuhrer-gerbattery-serialnumbermeister - and a copy of the publicly available battery serial numbers types, and a pad of stickers that he can date, sign, etc and stick in on the battery/laptop which then deals with the problem at a stroke; No sticker, No use of laptop [|:)]
Can't see why this wouldn't work - I personally think VAA should give me a free UCS return flight for this![y]
Viz.
[y] I was thinking along those lines... And guessing ultimately Dell might send out "Approved for Flight" stickers to all people proving ownership of "safe" batteries. I hearby patent that idea Dell!;)
Certainly a lot more sensible than blanket bans at a time when the rigors of airtravel are testing all our patience with the rules.
I'd guess the heating element in a kitchen somewhere on a plane burns more often than a laptop battery is likely to, doesn't mean we don't ban coffee and tea on board? Given that most people who use laptops when flying are doing so for work, and probably work in businesses with IT teams who are on top of this situation (after all, their H&S and insurance would demand it) this is a dumb ass inflexible rule.
If I can't get around it today will cause me a great deal of aggro - I had planned to do a presentation while flying to deliver in the US to present later this week, without that five hours I'll now lose a night's sleep ... so I feel personally really effed off with it and yes, voting with feet will happen.
[:(!]
If I can't get around it today will cause me a great deal of aggro - I had planned to do a presentation while flying to deliver in the US to present later this week, without that five hours I'll now lose a night's sleep ... so I feel personally really effed off with it and yes, voting with feet will happen.
[:(!]
There's a plane at JFK, to fly you back from far away
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
Our company sent an email round yesterday instructing all staff requiring travel to the USA on busy, to travel with airlines other than VS due to the ban on laptops. We have to use Dell at work (all declared safe now) and I have a MacBook at home so I'm doubled stuffed if I had to travel for work.
Its happening....
Its happening....
Originally posted by slinky09
I'd guess the heating element in a kitchen somewhere on a plane burns more often than a laptop battery is likely to, doesn't mean we don't ban coffee and tea on board? Given that most people who use laptops when flying are doing so for work, and probably work in businesses with IT teams who are on top of this situation (after all, their H&S and insurance would demand it) this is a dumb ass inflexible rule.
From a corporate point of view the heating elements in the kitchen will have been serviced by VS (or their appointed contractors). Your laptop won't have been. Presumably VS will unwind the rule when Apple and Dell declare their recall "complete".
Originally posted by slinky09
If I can't get around it today will cause me a great deal of aggro - I had planned to do a presentation while flying to deliver in the US to present later this week, without that five hours I'll now lose a night's sleep ... so I feel personally really effed off with it and yes, voting with feet will happen.
[:(!]
Do you carry more than one battery ? I don't get much more than 90 minutes useful life out of any single Dell battery..
Paul
We can get better, because we're not dead yet
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