Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Kuwaiti activist Thamer Bourashed stows his laptop in hold baggage before boarding

A ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Turkey and some countries in the Middle East and North Africa to the US and UK has come into effect.

Officials say devices "larger than a smartphone" must travel in the hold because of an increased risk that they could contain explosives.

At least one airline is allowing devices to be used up until boarding.

The US ban covers eight countries, while the UK restrictions apply to six.

Nine airlines from eight countries - Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - are affected by the US ban. They operate about 50 flights a day to the US.

Laptop ban: What about the parents?

Will new US and UK flight rules affect me?

Somali plane bomb: What happened?

UAE airline Emirates is offering complimentary packing and shipping services at gates to enable passengers to use their electronic devices after check-in and until boarding.

That also means passengers flying on two-leg trips from other countries to the US through Dubai can use their laptops on the first leg of their flights.

Image caption The UK ban applies to direct inbound flights from six countries; the US ban lists eight countries

The UK ban meanwhile affects all flights out of Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Lebanon.

The British ban applies to any device, including smartphones, larger than 16cm (6.3in) long, 9.3cm (3.7in) wide or 1.5cm (0.6in) deep. However, most phones will be smaller than the limit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the US and UK to lift the bans as soon as possible.

The US Department for Homeland Security has cited attacks on planes and airports over the past two years as the reason for the ban,

Bombs, it said, had been hidden in such items as a soft drink can, used in the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt in October 2015 with the loss of 224 lives, and the laptop used in the unsuccessful Somali attack last year.

European security experts are to meet next week to discuss the US and UK bans, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Royal Jordanian Airlines has tweeted suggestions of things to do during a long flight instead of using an electronic device.

Image copyright @RoyalJordanian

It followed up with another tweet suggesting that passengers "do what we Jordanians do best - stare at each other!"

Aviation experts say the ban could hit airline profits as risks include a fall in passenger numbers, decreasing customer satisfaction and higher costs linked to screening baggage.</s>A new travel restriction went into effect at 3:00 am EST on Tuesday barring passengers on foreign airlines coming to the United States from carrying electronic devices larger than a cellphone. According to Department of Homeland Security, the restricted items that cannot be in carried-on luggage include laptop computers, travel printers, and electronic games bigger than a cellphone.

Start the conversation, or Read more at JD Supra.</s>Travelers are trying to figure out how to deal with new government rules placing an indefinite ban on electronic devices larger than smartphones from the cabins of commercial aircraft flying to both the United States and the United Kingdom from certain countries.

Canada is also considering joining the electronics ban for flights, the Globe and Mail reports.

In the United States, the ban covers nine airlines (Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabia Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates Air and Etihad Airways) and direct flights to the U.S. from 10 specific airports listed here.

In the United Kingdom, the ban covers inbound flights from six countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

"The ban means there is probably intelligence indicating a terrorist group or individual has been planning to detonate a device on board a commercial airplane, using an electronic to either hide an explosive, or as a triggering device for an explosive," said aviation safety and security expert Jeff Price.

How to Protect Your Valuables?

The ban also means that, for the foreseeable future, travelers booked on more than 125 affected flights a day to the U.S. and U.K. will have to put devices such as tablets, e-readers, cameras, laptops, portable DVD players, and video games in checked baggage.

Travelers are concerned not only about how they will spend their time during flights, but the fate of the devices checked in airplane holds.

"Am I seriously going to check a $5,000 camera? Not a chance," said Washington, D.C.-based writer and photographer Emily Troutman, via Twitter.

As the bans begin to go into effect, experts are sharing advice and tips for those currently booked — or about to be booked — on the affected flights.

"Back up all your data and save it to the cloud, arrive at the airport early, bring your phone charger or buy one at the airport, and bring some good material," suggests travel pro Johnny Jet. Try switching to connecting instead of a direct flight from one of the affected airports. "If you're booked on the Emirate non-stop from Dubai to the U.S., see if they'll move you to one of their one-stops through Milan or Athens," he said.

Other travel experts suggest loading work files, books, games and other entertainment onto phones and purchasing or bringing along an external keyboard to make typing and accessing the information easier.

"Upgrading to a larger memory phone might be in order," said Farecompare CEO Rick Seaney, whose research shows the ban will initially affect over 40,000 potentially inconvenienced fliers.

Families traveling with children, who have come to rely on movie and game-filled tablets for entertainment, should make sure to pack "some good old-fashioned unplugged entertainment, such as books, puzzle books, and coloring pads," said Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, family travel expert at About.com.

And this may be a good time to explore the offerings on the affected airlines' in-flight entertainment, some of which is quite extensive.

Not long after the ban was announced, Middle East carrier Emirates posted a "Who Needs Tablets and Laptops Anyway?" tweet with a reminder that the airline offers "Over 2500 channels of the latest, movies, box sets, live sport, and kids TV."

While in-flight entertainment on a long flight is helpful, it won't replace laptops for many travelers.

The ban "is simply unworkable for most business travelers. They need to be productive during their trips," said the Business Travel Coalition in a statement. "Many business travelers do not check luggage, even on long flights as it slows them down upon arrival at baggage claim. Now they will have to check their electronics with many paying for the privilege."

For those concerned about gear getting lost or stolen, insurance coverage from the airlines, travel insurance providers and certain credit cards may be helpful.

"The primary concern for most business travelers regarding the theft of electronic devices isn't the value of the device itself, it's the value/sensitivity of the data stored on the device," said Max Leitschuh, iJET International Airline Safety Analyst.

Another option? Not checking electronic devices at all. "My recommendation is to ship your electronics to your destination," said aviation security and safety expert Jeff Price, "There's no way I'd put my laptop in checked baggage. And those little locks they sell can be defeated in about 15 seconds with a good paperclip."</s>To boost aviation security against terrorist attacks, the Trump administration imposed an indefinite ban of electronic devices on all airlines flying directly from eight countries in the Middle East and Africa to the United States. The ban entails a total ban of electronic devices in the cabin.

Start the conversation, or Read more at NewsBlaze.</s>A ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Turkey and some countries in the Middle East and North Africa to the United States and United Kingdom has come into effect.Officials said devices “larger than a smartphone” must travel in the hold because of an increased risk that they could contain explosives.The BBC reports that at least one airline is allowing devices to be used up until boarding.The US ban covers eight countries, while the UK restrictions apply to six.Nine airlines from eight countries – Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait – are affected by the US ban.They operate about 50 flights a day to the US.UAE airline Emirates is offering complimentary packing and shipping services at gates to enable passengers to use their electronic devices after check-in and until boarding.That also means passengers flying on two-leg trips from other countries to the US through Dubai can use their laptops on the first leg of their flights.</s>Laptops are No No in Cabin Now

To boost aviation security against terrorist attacks, the Trump administration imposed an indefinite ban of electronic devices on all airlines flying directly from eight countries in the Middle East and Africa to the United States.

The ban entails a total ban of electronic devices in the cabin. Any devices bigger than smartphones will have to be kept in the cargo hold for the duration of the flight. This means iPads, Kindles and laptops are not allowed in the cabin.

The Associated Press says there are 10 international airports covered by the ban including 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.

Nine airlines are affected by this ban that fly direct to the United States from the affected airports. Here is the list: EgyptAir, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

The policy does not affect any American carriers because none fly directly to the United States from the airports.

US officials have been concerned about speculation terrorists plan to smuggle a “laptop bomb” onto commercial flights. Security screening in airports is not enough to detect these terror threats. To prevent this from happening, the ban of electronics inside the cabin was imposed.

In addition, US officials believe explosives can be hidden in a laptop to bring down a passenger jet. This is what happened last year when the Somali extremist group al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu. It detonated soon after take-off and made a hole in the side of the plane. The incident killed only the bomber.

Intelligence also highlighted the growing potential and threat from al Qaeda in Syria, Al Shabaab and ISIS.

The ban covers all electronic devices bigger than a smart phone. These devices are banned from cabin baggage and can only be carried if packed in checked-in hold baggage.

Devices covered by the ban include laptops, iPads, hand-held gaming devices, DVD players, Kindles, tablets, and so on. Items covered by the ban are those longer than 16.0cm, wider than 9.3cm and deeper than 1.5cm. However, medical devices required during the flight will still be allowed in the cabin after security screening.</s>Travelers heading to the U.S. from 10 international airports are feeling the impact of a new electronics ban.The new ban ordered passengers from bringing most types of electronic devices into the cabin for U.S.-bound flights. Instead, those devices are wrapped up and stored in the cargo hold.The U.S. ban covers flights from 10 airports, including major global hubs like Dubai. The other airports affected are Cairo International in Egypt, Abu Dhabi International in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey, Hamad International in, Qatar, Queen Alia International in Jordan, Kuwait International in Kuwait Mohammed V International in Morocco, King Abdulaziz International and King Khalid International in Saudi Arabia.Smartphones will still be allowed in the cabin, but any electronic devices bigger than that will have to be checked in either with your luggage or at the gate. That includes laptops, cameras, gaming devices and tablets such as iPads and larger smartphones, like the iPhone 7 plus, are also not being allowed on board.Medical devices will still be allowed in the cabin after security screening.Officials said the ban is after concerns about potential terrorist attacks, using electronic devices.The U.S. government officially notified the airlines on Tuesday and had a deadline to comply by Saturday.There have been reports that airlines have been scrambling to implement the new rules, so the best advice is, if you're flying internationally to the U.S. or the U.K. is to arrive earlier than normal.</s>The Trump administration has banned devices larger than a smartphone in the passenger cabin of flights coming to the U.S. from several airports in Muslim-dominant countries. The ban restricts iPads and other tablets, Kindle ebook readers, notebooks, and other larger electronic devices to checked luggage over terrorism concerns.

Start the conversation, or Read more at O'Grady's PowerPage.</s>As part of the UK’s continued effort to combat terror attacks the government has banned large electronics from cabin luggage on certain flights.

This means people travelling with devices beyond a certain size will no longer be able to take their electronics on board - this covers laptops, tablets, kindles and even some bigger smartphones.

The ban covers flights to the UK from Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Here's what you need to know.

Under the ban, which starts this weekend, passengers will be stopped from taking electronic devices, which are larger than the following dimensions: length 16cm, width 9.3cm depth 1.5 cm (about the size of an average mobile phone), into the cabin.

This includes devices such as laptops, tablets and Kindles.

The ban extends to all inbound flights to the UK from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey and Tunisia. This will affect the following airlines:

What if your electronics are damaged in the hold?

According to the Montreal Convention - the law that applies to lost and damaged luggage and goods - airlines are responsible for the bags they allow you to check in as opposed to carry on to the aircraft.

However, their liability is limited to £1,200 per passenger, unless there has been a ‘special declaration of interest’. This is where you effectively notify the airline that you are carrying something in your luggage that is worth more than £1,200.

If the airline, then accepts the declaration they will be liable for the full value if your property is damaged.

In the case of laptops and other electronic devices, the airlines are unlikely to accept special declaration of interests so this probably won’t protect you.

If you really need to take your large electronics with you on one of the affected flights you should check to see if your home insurance policy will cover you.

If you have taken out “all risk cover” (which tends to be an optional extra) it will post probably cover electronic devices that are stored in the hold. However, check with the insurance provider before you travel.

Some of the airlines have announced that they may be charging additional charges to put electronic devices in the hold.</s>CUSTOMERS with Jet2 are among airline passengers travelling to the UK from six countries in the Middle East and north Africa who are to be banned from carrying laptops and other large electronic devices as cabin luggage, Downing Street has announced. The ban affects direct inbound flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia and covers devices which are larger than a typical smartphone measuring 16cm by 9.3cm by 1.5cm, which will now have to go in the plane's hold.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Thetelegraphand Argus.
The UK-US air travel ban on laptops and other electronic devices in the passenger cabin comes into effect.