Laptop Recommendations
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Laptop Recommendations
Hi,
I'm flying to Canada next week with British Airways, and I'm aware that you're only allowed one item of hand luggage, full stop. I'm taking my laptop with me along with two suitcases....would anyone recommend putting my laptop (in it's case) in one of the suitcases instead of checking it it, because I'll need my bag aswell, and theres not much space in the laptop case. I won't need it during the flight. Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ryan
I'm flying to Canada next week with British Airways, and I'm aware that you're only allowed one item of hand luggage, full stop. I'm taking my laptop with me along with two suitcases....would anyone recommend putting my laptop (in it's case) in one of the suitcases instead of checking it it, because I'll need my bag aswell, and theres not much space in the laptop case. I won't need it during the flight. Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ryan
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Absolutely not.
I bought a new keyboard in the UK last week and packed it in my suitace for the journey home.
It arrived with a gouge out of the aluminium covering, despite being wrapped in a sweater.
Just think what couold happen to a laptop.
I bought a new keyboard in the UK last week and packed it in my suitace for the journey home.
It arrived with a gouge out of the aluminium covering, despite being wrapped in a sweater.
Just think what couold happen to a laptop.
Eight Gun Fighter
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If I were going to do this I would dedicate all the clothing in that suitcase to protecting the laptop. Given a large enough suitcase I would also wrap the laptop in its case in a couple of layers of bubble wrap. You'll be in a wide-body so luggage will be packed into a container which is usually better than bulk loading.
Paxing All Over The World
The greatest risk is from the way that the bags are thrown, rather than placed by the handlers.
As RT says, bags are in containers but watching how they place them into the containers and then out onto the belts is an education.
When going s/h I often watch with fascination as the staff throw bags and drop them, rather than lifting and placing them. They do this when loading s/h right outside the windows and know that their customers are watching them drop and kick the bags. Since they do this where we can see, I can only assume they do worse when we cannot.
Folks think that a tube of cream or plastic bottle of shampoo has burst open in their bags 'due to the altitude', I have always reckoned it is because of the way the bags are thrown and dumped.
I once had to place an external CD-RW drive into a suitcase and wrapped it up as best I could. It works - but makes a grinding noise with each revolution. I would never let a laptop near the hold.
As RT says, bags are in containers but watching how they place them into the containers and then out onto the belts is an education.
When going s/h I often watch with fascination as the staff throw bags and drop them, rather than lifting and placing them. They do this when loading s/h right outside the windows and know that their customers are watching them drop and kick the bags. Since they do this where we can see, I can only assume they do worse when we cannot.
Folks think that a tube of cream or plastic bottle of shampoo has burst open in their bags 'due to the altitude', I have always reckoned it is because of the way the bags are thrown and dumped.
I once had to place an external CD-RW drive into a suitcase and wrapped it up as best I could. It works - but makes a grinding noise with each revolution. I would never let a laptop near the hold.
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Like many things in life, this is a case of playing the percentages. For my money, spending cash on a new laptop backpack that also has room for the other things you may need is a better investment than possibly having to pay for a new laptop and go to all the hassle of losing data and such.
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If I were going to do this I would dedicate all the clothing in that suitcase to protecting the laptop
If you have a wee 11" IBM, and you're using a full-size Delsey or Samsonite, and it's stuffed to the gills with well-placed clothing with a shell of crushable, resilient material (bubblewrap), and you don't mind taking the risk that it might go missing, it should be fine. That's how I bring wine over.
Wine bottles are designed to stand up to an amazing amount of abuse, though (unlike laptops), and their footprint is much smaller than the standard widescreen laptop one buys today. When something goes *bump*, they just roll out of the way. Sliding doesn't happen under a compressive load with a laptop.
PAXboy's comment about handling is spot on. I've seen the entire contents of a baggage cart ejected, because the subterranean creature driving the tractor had somehow passed the security checks and nothing else. Eight feet down came the top suitcases onto the all-forgiving Tarmac. Presents for children, souvenirs from a once-in-a-lifetime journey, an heirloom Coronation mug from Grandma - ker-splat.
Your laptop's safety will be in the hands of mechanical sorting devices and baggage handlers - ill paid, mucking around with baggage for people who are off on trips, when it's freezing cold and the supervisor is barking at you to hurry up.
Convinced yet?
BOFH
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Have a look at this:-
http://www.gatwick-airport-uk.info/g...port241105.htm
http://www.gatwick-airport-uk.info/g...port241105.htm
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Ryan, comments seem fairly straightforward: get yourself a laptop "backpack" style bag and carry on.
I am also one who does this, although I actually paid over the odds by paying for a name brand at LHR duty free...there are much cheaper ways of doing it. I was in STAPLES today and they had some quite inexpensive laptop bags (although always bear in mind you get what you pay for).
But don't, don't put your laptop in the hold....
GDI
I am also one who does this, although I actually paid over the odds by paying for a name brand at LHR duty free...there are much cheaper ways of doing it. I was in STAPLES today and they had some quite inexpensive laptop bags (although always bear in mind you get what you pay for).
But don't, don't put your laptop in the hold....
GDI
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And, just to make things worse, lost or stolen laptops are rapidly escalating into a security nightmare for large organisations (Nationwide being a recent culprit/victim). If there's any chance at all that your laptop contains information relating to identifiable third parties, never let it out of your sight (or your grasp)!
What about those who sometimes travel with expensive camera gear + laptop. I did this last year before the 1 bag rule came in with no problem. Laptop bag not large enough to take camera + 2 lens & vice versa.
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paulc
Then, by and large, you'll get what your turkey is getting for Christmas.
What makes the veins in my neck stand proud is someone coming out with: "Well, it's for security, innit? What's wrong with that?"
Taken to its logical conclusion, we'll all be handcuffed for the duration of the flight.
If, however, they forced us to take strong hypnotics before flying, and spend the entire time comatose - that would not be so bad.
BOFH
Then, by and large, you'll get what your turkey is getting for Christmas.
What makes the veins in my neck stand proud is someone coming out with: "Well, it's for security, innit? What's wrong with that?"
Taken to its logical conclusion, we'll all be handcuffed for the duration of the flight.
If, however, they forced us to take strong hypnotics before flying, and spend the entire time comatose - that would not be so bad.
BOFH
BOFH,
yes - I think some sage & onion would be appropriate for some 'jobworths'
It is not 100% necessary to take laptop but it is useful to download / process pics when away from home (or at somewhere busy ie EAA Oshkosh)
I have a portable image storage device but like to see the pics before deleting them from cards.
yes - I think some sage & onion would be appropriate for some 'jobworths'
It is not 100% necessary to take laptop but it is useful to download / process pics when away from home (or at somewhere busy ie EAA Oshkosh)
I have a portable image storage device but like to see the pics before deleting them from cards.
Paxing All Over The World
paulc If you are only taking the laptop to process output of your camera, perhaps consider using Internet Cafes? Dependent on destination, of course, but many now do have the facility.
At modern photographic shops you can pay to use the readers and burn images to a disc and not actually have to print anything out.
At modern photographic shops you can pay to use the readers and burn images to a disc and not actually have to print anything out.
Paxboy,
the main reason I took laptop to the USA was as a back up storage device (i did use it for other things whilst there though) I have an 'image tank' type device which is fine but wanted to have the pictures in more than one place - just in case. The CD burning option is ok but again I have no way of checking that the process has worked.
I do have a old metal camera case which would take the laptop bag and fit inside suitcase quite well or just not take the laptop at all and hope that my image tank does not fail / get lost / stolen / damaged etc.
the main reason I took laptop to the USA was as a back up storage device (i did use it for other things whilst there though) I have an 'image tank' type device which is fine but wanted to have the pictures in more than one place - just in case. The CD burning option is ok but again I have no way of checking that the process has worked.
I do have a old metal camera case which would take the laptop bag and fit inside suitcase quite well or just not take the laptop at all and hope that my image tank does not fail / get lost / stolen / damaged etc.
