What constitutes 'electronic equipment'?

[Frustratin' Approach]

I see that EasyJet forbids electronic equipment in checked baggage. Computers are specifically mentioned but what else does it cover? Radio, iPod, mobile phone? My electric razor almost certainly has electronics in it.

I need to take some electronic devices as part of my work. Will I get them through security? I can't show them operating, as they need a power supply.

[ZFT]

Interesting restrictions which it would appear I’ve unintentionally broken on TLS-LGW-TLS sectors on more than one occasion.

From their website

You must not include in checked baggage fragile or perishable items, money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware, computers, electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples.

What is their definition of ‘business documents’ I wonder?

[Ad C]

Going by the list it seems that anything that might get damaged, lost or stolen shouldn't get checked in.

[bealine]

It's not just EasyJet - most carriers have this clause in their conditions of carriage, in addition to the fact that "business documents" should not be placed in checked baggage. Regardless of whether or not you have read the "Conditions of Carriage", making a booking or clicking the mouse on the airline's web-site is a statement that you agree to be bound by them!
These clauses are to prevent high-value claims arising, and in the case of electronic items, some materials also could present a hazard (Dell laptop's recent problems with spontaneous combustion due to faulty batteries being just one!) Some components contain mercury and this element, even in small quantities, eats through aluminium and could theoretically bring an airframe down!
In the case of electronic equipment, a microprocessor placed in temperatures of below freezing for a sustained period will undoubtedly suffer a certain amount of damage. (.....and an unheated short-haul aircraft hold can achieve temperatures of -20 C, a Trans-Atlantic aircraft hold will occasionally get down to -40 C). This damage may not be noticeable at first, but complete several aircraft journeys with your trusty laptop in the hold and the processor and memory will eventually fail.
I would always advocate, wherever possible, taking your laptop, digital camera, MP3 players etc on board just for your own peace of mind.
..........Mobile phone batteries are particularly dangerous in the hold (high charge, high voltage - sure to start a fire if short-circuited) so keep it on you!
All the best
BEA!

[tezzer]

It's an interesting one this. In my line of work, I travel almost constantly, with probably £200,000 worth of "electronic equipment" as checked in luggage.

Am I breaking the rules ? If so, I might as well hang up my passport, as I can't do my work without the equipment, and shipping it (airfreight) isn't always possible.

[bealine]

It's not so much "breaking the rules" tezzer, as I'm sure if you travel regularly with that value of kit you are meticulous in ensuring it is packed safely. For the purpose of aviation "rules", just check out what the components contain just in case they contain hazardous or dangerous substances - if they don't, then you can't fall foul of any rules that could get you into trouble!

The area of concern is the fact that the airline could reject any claim for loss or damage on the basis that electronic equipment is specifically excluded. If you, or your employer, have a separate insurance policy which covers the goods in transit then there isn't really a major problem.

British Airways deal with corporate clients in the world of medicine, and many of these fly with high-value pieces of electronic kit. Whether or not this has been declared to BA or not I can't say, but I really can't believe these world class companies would not have covered their backsides!

All the best!

[ZFT]

I can understand security/safety issues - common sense, but I often travel around Europe with more than the cabin baggage weight allowance with 'business documents'.

If this is only an insurance issue, then no problem, but I'm intrigued just what would be the result of a pre boarding/check in baggage search?

[radeng]

But some of the rules are outdated. Pacemakers are classed as hazardous cargo, because some 25 years ago, a small number were made using radio isotopes to power them. None have been powered thatw ay for 20 years, but the rules haven't caught up. Incidentally, when the PAX safety briefing says 'turn off electronic equipment' they don't mention hearing aids and pacemakers and drug injection devices and nerve stimulators and bladder control stimulators etc ......hearing aids can be turned off, but that's the last thing you want in an emergency!

[SXB]

This is purely an insurance issue. The list of forbidden equipment, as laid down by the authorities and laid down by the airline are two different things entirely. Obviously, passengers are not going to stop transporting elctrical items in hold baggage.

I often put quite reasonably high value electrical items in the hold. Of course my employer is aware of this and neither they or I are complete morons so we have our own insurance which covers any eventuality. If I put a €15000 item in hold baggage then insurance liability is my responsibility and not the airlines.

[Clarence Oveur]

(.....and an unheated short-haul aircraft hold can achieve temperatures of -20 C, a Trans-Atlantic aircraft hold will occasionally get down to -40 C).I do not know where you have those numbers from, but I can assure you that holds, even unheated ones, will not get below 0°C.

Al holds are heated by the way. Some directly, some indirectly by cabin air flowing between the hold and the fuselage.

[bealine]

Whilst conceding that you may have better information than me, these were the figures quoted to Customer Service trainees a good few years ago when discussing the requirement to ensure Flying Crews heated the holds when conveying live animals.

Now, given that there may well be a bit of cabin heat ducted through the hold and even if the overall temperature of the hold was 0 C, there may be local pockets at significantly lower temperatures.
If you've ever been seated at the rear galley jump seat by the door on a Seattle-built 747 or 777 machine, you will appreciate that the temperature there is a heck of a lot lower than the rest of the cabin - four blankets still aren't enough!

..........and on those little Embraer puddle-jumpers that had very little cabin locker space we used to use for the Gatwick - Leeds/Bradford service, British Airways received a plethora of claims for laptop processors destroyed by cold temperatures. It was, unfortunately, one of several factors that influenced axing the route.

[Clarence Oveur]

Gatwick to Leeds is 170 NM in a straight line. The FL reached, and time at cruising level, would mean hold temperatures would not be anything near what you are suggesting.

As aircrew, and as someone who have been in aircraft holds both halfway to JFK and on shorter legs, I do not need to be second guessed by those ground based.

[bealine]

As aircrew, and as someone who have been in aircraft holds both halfway to JFK and on shorter legs, I do not need to be second guessed by those ground based.

No need for pomposity, is there?

............and who was second guessing you? If you recall, I posted first.
As an ex-soldier, I have also travelled in the belly of an RAF Hercules at night across the Atlantic with a heating malfunction (although in a Fat Albert there's not much heating for the Poor Bloody Infantry anyway). I can't recall how many blankets we had, but I do recall that the temperature was way below freezing - enough to grow ice on moustaches certainly!

I doubt very much if you have been in the unpressurised and unheated hold of an Embraer or anything else unpressurised or unheated for that matter!

Still, as long as you try to ridicule other peoples' opinions, it doesn't matter right - you obviously haven't a clue of other aircraft types beyond your own limited experience, if you in fact have any at all?

[strake]

Bealine

Read other posts by this person. You'll then understand you are not being singled out.....
As it says on the box, "contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent..."

[bealine]

Oh yes! I see what you mean!

Why doesn't the bu66er stay on "Jet Blast" where he belongs!

[Clarence Oveur]

I have no intention of starting an argument with you. Suffice to say I know more about aircraft systems than you. And yes I have been in unheated aircraft holds during flight. If you want to call me a liar, just say so.

these were the figures quoted to Customer Service trainees a good few years ago when discussing the requirement to ensure Flying Crews heated the holds when conveying live animals.Nobody puts live animals in an unpressurised hold. That alone should have made you question those figures.

[bealine]

...........y A W N ! .......................................

I am not so course or ignorant as to call someone a liar!

However........if the cap fits!

If you were to bother talking to the airfield RSPCA inspectors, you would find countless instances of animals killed in unheated holds - indeed Continental and Delta Airlines racked up so many fines, they no longer carry pets to/from the UK.

As for unpressurised holds - the Army and RAF have many aircraft operating with unpressurised holds. It's a bit hard to pressurise a Hercules when you're going to get your parachute team to drop over the rear ramp - as soon as you dropped the ramp, you'd blow the lot of 'em over the edge before they wanted to go!

[Clarence Oveur]

Whatever the RAF or Army operates are as irrelevant as hot air balloons.

This was about claims that hold temperatures on commercial aircraft drops as low as -40°C. A claim that simply isn't true. Aircraft holds are all heated in one way or another. You can argue and insinuate until the cows come home, it won't change facts.

I suspect that even a photograph of me, and a thermometer, in a hold during flight will be dismissed as fabricated.

I realise that insertion of facts in threads around here, do tend to make the natives restless.

BTW. What unpressurised Embraer are you talking about?

[RevMan2]

Whilst conceding that you may have better information than me, these were the figures quoted to Customer Service trainees a good few years ago when discussing the requirement to ensure Flying Crews heated the holds when conveying live animals.

That would be on 707s - heated/unheated holds indicated by red/green lights...

Please help me understand how - when temperatures on the lower deck on longhaul flights supposedly plummet to -40C - the contents of my suitcase (packed in the Far East at an ambient temperature of +35C) are still warm after an 11 hour flight.

[tezzer]

Impending Spontaneous combustion of your used underwear, perhaps ?