If I take my laptop on an aircraft, would anything happen to it?

Question

Im travelling on a 747-200 on tuesday, and was wondering does the laptop get affected due to cabin pressure etc? or is the pressure in the cabin the same as outside?

can the security scanner bust it too?

Answer 1

Nothing will happen to your laptop as long as you take care of it physically, the same way you would while travelling on a train or a bus.

In fact, you can in some airlines use the laptop and even get a power line (some airlines have the regular jacks for it or you need a special adapter for the same); some airlines also provide wireless access through the period of your air journey;

you are normally expected to switch off your laptop during the take off as well as during the landing time; usually till the aircraft reaches a sufficiently high altitude.

Answer 2

Nothing will happen to it unless you do something like drop it. Security scans won't hurt it.

Thanfully the pressure is NOT the same as the outside. If it were, we'd all have to use supplementary oxygen for the duration of the flight. The pressure altitude inside is about 8,000 feet.

Millions of laptops have traveled with their owners with nary a hint of trouble.

About the only thing that you can do to hurt your laptop is to place it in your checked baggage. It won't freeze as another poster claims -- the baggage hold IS climate controlled -- but it may be damaged by rough handling. There is also a high possibility of theft if it is checked. That's the primary reason that the UK rolled back the restriction on carrying laptops on board last summer; a vast number of them were stolen.

Answer 3

Nope nothing should happen to your laptop, the cabin is pressurized. Also the scanners at the security checkpoints will not hurt the laptop either. I travel quite a bit and never leave with my laptop.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Nothing should happen to the laptop as long as you have it in a protected bag (so it won't get banged around). The cabin pressure (set to, I _think_ 8000 feet) wouldn't affect the computer at all... I've taken my laptop aboard many times with no ill effects.

Answer 5

Na the laptop should be fine, if it was to be affected by cabin pressure you would be affected as well but you won't so it's ok. Don't check-in your laptop as hold luggage because the chips and devices that make your laptop work will freeze up and will probably be damaged because of the extreme low temperatures at cruising altitude.

Answer 6

Nothing would happen to the laptop. Cabin pressure is regulated. Cheers

Answer 7

you can take your laptop onto a flight, just, as was said, keep it off during take-off and landing and only use it between the time period when the flight attendant says its ok, and the time when you are about to land, and no, a security scanner will not make it go haywire, you are expected (in some airports) to turn it on, to demonstrate that it in fact does work, i am expected to with my iPod, when i take it traveling

Answer 8

It would immediately blow up, HAHAHA! No dummy, its safe to take it on board. By the way, if the cabin pressure was the same as outside, then YOU would be the one to blow up.

Answer 9

Done it million of times. I was more worried about the TSA breaking it during the scanning process at the security check point.

Answer 10

Not to worry - business passengers have been taking and using their laptops on airplanes for years now. You will be asked to shut it down during takeoff and landing, but putting it in "sleep" mode should be good enough.