Well, that's one way to compete against Emirates I suppose...

deonb

deonb

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deonb
Ban all electronic devices except for phones in their cabins:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/21/news/airline-electronics-ban-middle-east-africa/index.html

"The 10 international airports covered by the ban are in Cairo, Egypt; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Casablanca, Morocco; and Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The nine airlines are Egyptair, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Turkish Airlines."


Wow. Just wow.
 
Just as I start a new job commuting through Dubai. Awesome. Mass theft of electronics from checked baggage, here we come!
 
How are the pilots going to fly the planes with their ipads? This is a safety issue to me.
 
For those laptops that still have physical spinning hard drives, isn't this a big damage potential?
 
CMongoose said:
For those laptops that still have physical spinning hard drives, isn't this a big damage potential?
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I've done this often.

When I arrive at my destination and collect my checked bags, the laptop is always ok. However, TSA invariably inserts a note into the bag to indicate they searched it by hand.
 
So, can I carry a backup drive in my carry on??

If it's relegated to just those airlines, I should be good to go, but still...
 
Anymouse said:
So, can I carry a backup drive in my carry on??

If it's relegated to just those airlines, I should be good to go, but still...
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The rule, according to BBC, is all about size, but unhelpfully, the US govt didn't give a number for the max size. Here's the rule:

"Electronic devices larger than a cell phone/smart phone will not be allowed to be carried onboard the aircraft in carry-on luggage or other accessible property."

Regarding your choice of airline, I suppose they could add your airline to the list at any time, based on the "threat."

Lots of travellers now enroute to the US from Asia are goong to have a problem because they have an ereader or tablet or whatever in their carryon, and they will be unable to access their checked bags to stow it. I suppose the same surprise could happen to you, if you fly another airline or change in another country and they pop out another new rule like today's.
 
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NoHeat said:
The rule, according to BBC, is all about size, but unhelpfully, the US govt didn't give a number for the max size. Here's the rule:

"Electronic devices larger than a cell phone/smart phone will not be allowed to be carried onboard the aircraft in carry-on luggage or other accessible property."
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Is "size" an issue? I thought it wasn't about the size? Oh this is confusing....maybe I am talking about something completely different....
 
mtuomi said:
This is protectionism, not security. What a surprise this comes soon after WH meets with airline reps...
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The airlines affected were probably not the ones he met with. In fact, the ones he met with may see more traffic because of this...
 
Everskyward said:
The airlines affected were probably not the ones he met with. In fact, the ones he met with may see more traffic because of this...
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That's exactly what I meant. US airlines don't fly to the affected destinations, but US airlines lose a ton of money because of the connecting traffic from the big ME hubs.
 
mtuomi said:
That's exactly what I meant. US airlines don't fly to the affected destinations, but US airlines lose a ton of money because of the connecting traffic from the big ME hubs.
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But only certain airlines are affected, and none of them are US based, or even western European based. I can see the rule driving traffic to western carriers.
 
These things are often retaliated against, I wonder what form that will be.
 
mtuomi said:
This is protectionism, not security.
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Absolutely. This completely takes Emirates & Etihad out of the equation for me. I have very expensive laptops I travel with - never mind the IP on it. No way am I'm ever checking those.

I was actually going to hit the trigger later this week on two business class tickets on Emirates SEA to JNB.

Nobody comes anywhere close to EK prices on business travel - so this is going to end up costing me thousands, or worse :(.

Guess it could have been worse - I could have had non-refundable tickets already.
 
I'm ALL for it !
Perhaps.......just perhaps we have intercepted actionable intelligence that points to a laptop for use as an IED - ya think ?

You knuckleheads that are having an "adverse" reaction to this would also be the same people to crucify the powers that be for letting this get by ........"how could they be so stupid ????" . Well guess what ? - you can't have it both ways.
Suck it up and bring along a nice paperback romance novel buttercup. Believe it or not people actually did survive long distance flights before the advent of laptops ! Amazing right ?
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm ALL for it !
Perhaps.......just perhaps we have intercepted actionable intelligence that points to a laptop for use as an IED - ya think ?

You knuckleheads that are having an "adverse" reaction to this would also be the same people to crucify the powers that be for letting this get by ........"how could they be so stupid ????" . Well guess what ? - you can't have it both ways.
Suck it up and bring along a nice paperback romance novel buttercup. Believe it or not people actually did survive long distance flights before the advent of laptops ! Amazing right ?
Click to expand...

You've obviously never had anything stolen from your checked luggage. Good luck with your business travels without your laptop.
 
Art VanDelay said:
Perhaps.......just perhaps we have intercepted actionable intelligence that points to a laptop for use as an IED - ya think ?
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On some type of laptop that can only be snuck onto a Middle Eastern airline??


And don't say this is about airport security either - DXB has the same or better security than anywhere in the US. Even if that wasn't the case you could have simply phoned them up and say: "We have these magical TSA agents that never miss a thing that we'd like to have hang around your airport and you pay for it", and they would be happy to write a check.
 
mtuomi said:
You've obviously never had anything stolen from your checked luggage. Good luck with your business travels without your laptop.
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Honestly I've never had anything stolen out of checked luggage. And that includes several trips to South America with some pretty high end backpacking gear.
 
Art VanDelay said:
Honestly I've never had anything stolen out of checked luggage. And that includes several trips to South America with some pretty high end backpacking gear.
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Good for you. I've had a camera stolen in SEA. And a bottle of whisky (JW Black Label, someone didn't know their liquor) in IST. It happens all the time. A laptop is a very lucrative target for these scumbags.
 
deonb said:
On some type of laptop that can only be snuck onto a Middle Eastern airline??


And don't say this is about airport security either - DXB has the same or better security than anywhere in the US. Even if that wasn't the case you could have simply phoned them up and say: "We have these magical TSA agents that never miss a thing that we'd like to have hang around your airport and you pay for it", and they would be happy to write a check.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhh, maybe you should google "actionable intelligence" ?
 
Everskyward said:
But only certain airlines are affected, and none of them are US based, or even western European based. I can see the rule driving traffic to western carriers.
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United used to fly direct to both Kuwait City and Dubai. Delta used to fly direct Atlanta to Dubai. All these were discontinued in early 2016 so I don't believe any US carrier flies direct to the Gulf any more.

The Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad has never been profitable. Emirates is only "profitable" because the Dubai Ruling Family rolled in a bunch of their hotels and other tourist assets on to the Emirates balance sheet. During the financial crisis period Emirates almost went under and had to be bailed out by the Abu Dhabi Ruling Family, who injected capital and put their subsequent ownership interest into Etihad to hold.
 
Yet another nail in the coffin of "in person meetings" and another win for videoconferencing. Why the hell anyone would willingly get on an airliner to go have a meeting these days, is beyond me.
 
denverpilot said:
Yet another nail in the coffin of "in person meetings" and another win for videoconferencing. Why the hell anyone would willingly get on an airliner to go have a meeting these days, is beyond me.
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Because majority of world's population will not negotiate a deal if it's not in person.
 
Art VanDelay said:
Honestly I've never had anything stolen out of checked luggage. And that includes several trips to South America with some pretty high end backpacking gear.
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Neither have I. But I've had luggage lost on 3 out of 4 legs of a stopover trip (2 x Delta, 1 x Saudia).
 
Art VanDelay said:
Ahhhhh, maybe you should google "actionable intelligence" ?
Click to expand...

"actionable intelligence"
[noun] Intelligence that implies that we must do something. This is something.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm ALL for it !
Perhaps.......just perhaps we have intercepted actionable intelligence that points to a laptop for use as an IED - ya think ?

You knuckleheads that are having an "adverse" reaction to this would also be the same people to crucify the powers that be for letting this get by ........"how could they be so stupid ????" . Well guess what ? - you can't have it both ways.
Suck it up and bring along a nice paperback romance novel buttercup. Believe it or not people actually did survive long distance flights before the advent of laptops ! Amazing right ?
Click to expand...

This would be the same intelligence that had WMD in Iraq? That was pretty actionable too.

I think they should just make us strip down completely and fly in airline issued pajamas. Everything else goes FedEx on a separate plane. No exploding shoes, unsafe belt buckles, explosive filled cans of shave cream, deadly liquid baby formula over 100 ml, or bottles of potentially poisonous non-airline issued water. THEN we would all be perfectly safe, non.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm ALL for it !
Perhaps.......just perhaps we have intercepted actionable intelligence that points to a laptop for use as an IED - ya think ?

You knuckleheads that are having an "adverse" reaction to this would also be the same people to crucify the powers that be for letting this get by ........"how could they be so stupid ????" . Well guess what ? - you can't have it both ways.
Suck it up and bring along a nice paperback romance novel buttercup. Believe it or not people actually did survive long distance flights before the advent of laptops ! Amazing right ?
Click to expand...
Yes and no. In a previous life I traveled extensively and as per DOD and company rules, the laptop was NEVER allowed out of my physical control. Airport security had to inspect by hand while I observed. At no time could it leave my sight. And even then, the HD was encrypted. (PITA but those were the rules) That's when I learned about drive-thru fast food. I couldn't even leave it locked in the trunk, out of sight.

Really happy to be out of that world and loafing along as part-time university faculty.
 
denverpilot said:
Yet another nail in the coffin of "in person meetings" and another win for videoconferencing. Why the hell anyone would willingly get on an airliner to go have a meeting these days, is beyond me.
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This just has to be a boon for the biz jet makers and the time-share outfits
 
deonb said:
Neither have I. But I've had luggage lost on 3 out of 4 legs of a stopover trip (2 x Delta, 1 x Saudia).
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And I have watched passengers plead with gate agents to unload their checked baggage because they were going to be rerouted due to missing their connecting flight. They might meet up with their checked luggage at their destination... the next day.
 
Everskyward said:
And I have watched passengers plead with gate agents to unload their checked baggage because they were going to be rerouted due to missing their connecting flight. They might meet up with their checked luggage at their destination... the next day.
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Two more interesting ones I have:

a) Checked luggage JFK to SEA. Luggage doesn't arrive, buy new clothes and toiletries in SEA as well as a new suitcase. Got a call on the day I'm leaving (3 days later) that they found it and that I can pick it up at SEA. Return the new suitcase to the store, took my new clothes to the airport in a plastic shopping bag, pick up my old luggage, stuff the new clothes in there as well, and check in. Got to JFK, luggage again didn't arrive there. I was so frustrated I couldn't be bothered to go through the process of tracking it down yet again so I just left it. UAL I think.

a) Checked luggage SEA to JED, including the President of Microsoft Saudi Arabia's personal laptop, which he gave to me to go and copy some software onto from the corporate network. Never arrived. They finally found it 4 months later, but by that time we already had our performance reviews... Saudia.
 
dmspilot said:
The UK has banned electronics as well including for its own airlines, how would you explain that?
http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/21/news/uk-europe-airline-electronics-ban/
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Seriously? The UK government follows the USA around like a little lost puppy. If the US does something, the UK falls over it's own feet in its hurry to copy.

Of course this is a poorly disguised attempt at giving ME carriers a disadvantage. A laptop bomb is a risk in a cabin but not in the hold? Give me a break. The only laptop bomb recently was on a timer and would have gone off no matter where it was.
 
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