Using Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Computer Cases at the Airport

One of the things I hate the most when traveling by plane is having to take my laptop out of the case. My laptop is my whole job, so I am very picky about it. Seeing it dumped into a dirty plastic tub and smacked around while I hurry up with my other items is very stressful. Well now there is good news, at least at the Orlando International airport.

They now will let you keep your laptop in the case,,, IF it meets the checkpoint friendly laptop bag requirements. Which brings up the question, just why do you need to take it out anyway? It all goes back to a plane bombing about 18 years ago. The bomb was inside a boom box. So they now X-ray all laptops to make sure there is no bomb inside of the case.

The screeners know what the inside of a laptop should look like and if it has been tampered with. So they need a very clear view of the laptop. If there are pockets full of pens, papers, wires and so on over it they can't get a clear view of it. So that's why they need to view it outside the laptop case. But now they have decided your laptop can stay in the case as long as the case gives a clear view of the laptop.

That means that the laptop case must be able to contain the laptop in just one part of the case, so that by just unzipping it or unsnapping a few buttons you can lay it out so that the part with the laptop does not have anything else resting over it or under it.

That is what an airport checkpoint friendly laptop bag needs to be able to do. It could open up as a tri-fold also. It just needs to be able to expose the laptop so that the X-ray screener has a clear view of it. So when you get to the security checkpoint, you just open your laptop bag up like in the picture above and push it through the X-ray machine.

You want to be sure the laptop bag has plenty of pads around it and it has some type of strap holding it in place. Because it will get bumped by luggage on both sides in the line. You can now find laptop bags designed for this in many places. Just google "checkpoint friendly laptop bags" and you will find many. They still can ask you to take it out if for some reason they need a closer look at it.

But most of the time they will not. So that's one less thing to worry about at the Orlando International airport. Now if only they can come up with a way so you can keep your shoes on. How about an X-ray machine that just scans your feet as you walk through it!