HUGE problem for business travel, look for that to go down substantially. Many people travel with computers carrying very sensitive business and/or secure information and employees are literally not allowed to check them or have them stored out of their sight. Also, the significant risk of laptops etc. being stolen or broken when put in checked baggage is not inconsequential. I see far an increase in video conferencing, etc. What business travelers will have to do to is go east from Europe, connecting through Asia, to get back to the US. More time + $$.
On the other side of it, how many kids are entertained by electronic devices on flights - especially LONG flights as we’re talking coming from Europe. Not going to be pretty. Expect to see leisure travel fall as well.
And as others have mentioned, what’s the risk of having all lithium ion batteries in the hold of the plane? Remember the problems with Galaxy Note’s that caught fire in the cabins of several flights? And those were just large cell phones…
Yes, business stuff has to be secure. So one solution will be 100% cloud storage and processing. Your laptop will be replaced with a device (a “terminal” like in the good old days) to access the cloud where your data is stored and your applications run. Batteries issues aside, this “laptop terminal” will have little value and can be made quite sturdy. As long as there is a way to have a secure and fast cloud access, business can be done.
I don’t see how the cloud helps. It will still have a battery & be bigger than a phone. This is just one more reason for people to skip trips to the US.
The cloud helps to secure your private and sensitive or proprietary data by not putting them on the machine. You can check in a laptop with no data on it. Once you get to your destination, you can then get online and download the data you need for your work.
And will we need to PAY to have this luggage checked? Even when we fly to/from EU, we do it entirely with a carry-on roller bag, and personal item. Most airlines will allow a checked bag when traveling out of the country, but I still prefer to have it all with me.
europe to united states you need to fly. but any domestic drive less than 8 hours is better and faster than flying…I am bumping that rule of thumb to ten hours.
Hm, what it means is a reduction in travel from Europe, especially business (lots of companies don’t like the cloud for its cybervulnerabilities) and summer visits (the US is the #2 destination I think, including teenagers going on language exchanges with backpacks filled with electronics).
This is honestly idiotic since batteries are more dangerous in the cargo hold than in the cabin.
“HUGE problem for business travel, …”
“…idiotic since batteries are more dangerous in the cargo hold than in the cabin”
I don’t understand how they can make this work. Putting a laptop in checked luggage seems too dangerous in multiple dimensions – the laptop being destroyed or stolen or lost seems like the issue that will stop business travelers from doing it. However, going on a business trip without a laptop also seems unthinkable.
I suppose that people could fly without laptops and rent one when they arrive at their conference or meeting location. This could be a substantial expense and inconvenience.
If flights from Canada are exempt then people from Europe could fly to Canada and change planes. Maybe Gander could find a return to the situation back when planes had to stop there to refuel before they had the range to fly nonstop from New York or Boston to London.
It’s probable that there is intelligence some of those bombs might have made their way to Europe and could be brought onboard flights from European airports.
But, of course terrorists could do what @DadTwoGirls suggests business folk should do, travel through Canada or some other country where there is no ban.
Heck, isn’t that what a lot of the 911 terrorists did?
Aha! Thanks, DadTwoGirls! I have a business trip to Europe coming up in a few weeks, and the only solution I’d come up with to avoid having to check my laptop was to take a cruise ship back across the Atlantic.
