Are Laptops allowed in Checked Baggage

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Traveling without your laptop can be challenging, especially when you have official tasks to perform or presentations for your new client. The question is, “are laptops allowed in checked baggage”? Yes, you can put your laptop in checked baggage while traveling.

However, it is recommended not to do this because your luggage is handheld roughly during the checking procedure and loading on the plane. There are chances that the laptop may get severely damaged or lost if you lose luggage. There are few countries where the hand-carrying laptop is not allowed, so you have to put it in a checked bag.

Are Laptops allowed in Checked Baggage while Travelling?

Airlines allow us to carry specific electronic devices in our checked bags or our hand carriers. These devices include cameras, cell phones, tablets, laptops, calculators, watches, tablets, and camcorders. We can also carry lithium metal batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and dry cell batteries with us.

Tablets, smartphones, and laptops with lithium-ion or lithium metal batteries are safe in carry-on baggage. We should make sure to turn off the electronics before putting them in checked baggage. It will help to protect our laptop from accidental activation. But we shouldn’t forget to pack our electronic devices carefully to prevent damage.

1. Putting a Laptop in a Checked Bag on a Train or Plane

TSA (Transportation Security Administration) allows us to keep our laptops in a checked bag. However, if possible we should put the laptop in our carry-on as it is a better and safe option while traveling by train or plane.

The luggage loading and unloading process at the airport is mostly careless, and it can be disastrous for electronic items like laptops and smartphone. That’s why it is recommended to take them in a carry-on.

Read also: Best Laptops with Numeric Keyboard

2. Airline Policies for Checked Baggage

Every airline has policies for baggage allowance, and it primarily depends on where the flight comes and goes from. When we buy a ticket, we often see different rules for each airline. We can also check the online baggage information about the particular airline.

For instance, on internal flights in the USA, checked baggage is not complimentary for some discounted economy tickets on short-haul. It is essential to pay an additional price for your luggage. You can also purchase a premium cabin if you are looking for an afforded complimentary checked bag.

3. What to do Before putting Laptop in a Checked Baggage – Safety Tips for Your Laptop

Whether you are keeping a laptop in a carry-on or a checked bag, here are some important things you should do before leaving your home.

Data Back up

You should back all laptop data before leaving for the airport. During traveling, if your laptop gets damaged or you lose it, you can easily recover your data. Even if your laptop is in the checked baggage, you don’t need to worry about losing data, photos, or documents.

Delete Sensitive Information

It is recommended to delete all sensitive information from your laptop before starting your journey. It is also better to log out of websites like social media, auto-fill data, and other personal information. Make sure to remove all saved passwords too.

Keep your Information Encrypted.

Make sure to protect your laptop with a strong password for safety encrypting. It will help to protect your laptop data. If you don’t want to encrypt the complete drive, encrypt your important files on the laptop.

Final words

It will help if you put your laptop in the checked baggage with proper safety measurements. Otherwise, I would recommend you to keep the sensitive, especially electric devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones, in the carry-on to prevent damages and loss.