TSA Approves "Checkpoint Friendly" Laptop Cases

Forget removing computers, placing them in plastic bins and then stuffing them back in an already cramped carry-on bag. With new “checkpoint friendly” computer cases, travelers can send their laptops straight through security screening, says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

 

USA Today reports that beginning August 16, a handful of national airlines may no longer require passengers to remove their laptops at airport checkpoints. This is another effort TSA is making to help smooth out congested security lines.

 

"I'm going to feel a sense of freedom," said Tim Burke, CEO of Garven gift-packaging company. Burke explained that he is an avid traveler- taking weekly business flights between his home in Denver and the company's headquarters in Minneapolis.

 

According to the TSA, passengers with “checkpoint-friendly” laptop cases, meaning X-ray machines can easily see through them, can go through security without opening the case. This TSA policy change could speed up security lines for the 2 million people who take U.S. flights each day and reduce incidents in which laptops are damaged, lost or forgotten in airports.

 

"Not having to deal with a computer is a big thing," said Burke, who bought a $25 laptop sleeve he thinks he can put through checkpoint X-ray machines with his MacBook inside.

 

Because the TSA is not certifying or approving certain laptop cases, brands or styles, the new policy could create some confusion at the nation's 450 commercial airports.

 

Instead, the agency has published guidelines for the checkpoint-friendly cases, essentially requiring that they provide a clear and unobstructed view of the laptop through an X-ray machine.

 

The bags must not have metal straps, zippers or buckets, and no pockets. Mobile Edge, Skooba Design and Targus are among the bag manufacturers that currently sell TSA-approved laptop bags.

 

However, if a TSA screener can't get a clear X-ray view of a laptop to verify that it's not concealing explosives, the screener can order it to be checked.

 

Mobile Edge’s ScanFast Collection consists of a backpack, a briefcase and a messenger bag, which separate laptops from surrounding pockets, ensuring a clear picture in an X-ray machine. Most bags still will have to be opened, but the Mobile Edge bags flip back to offer an uncluttered view of the laptop inside. The bags start at $80.

 

"There's going to be an education issue with consumers. Some people won't understand what checkpoint-friendly is," said Jim Lahren, vice president for marketing at Briggs & Riley Travelware. The company, like many others, tested its laptop cases in June at Washington Dulles International Airport with a TSA screener giving feedback.

 

To make things easier for consumers, Lahren explained the company is adding embroidered "checkpoint-friendly" labels to cases, which will be in stores in two weeks. He is worried that other companies will add similar labels even if their cases do not follow TSA standards.

 

In an effort to keep travelers in the loop, the TSA is posting signs at checkpoints explaining the new guidelines.