Emirates finds electronics ban loophole

Sister and little brother sitting at the Paris airport, playing with tablet. The boy is aged 6 and the girl is 9. Kids are smiling happily looking at the tablet and playing.

The blasted electronics ban that has caused quite a headache for many airlines and travellers – in particular business travellers – keeps wreaking havoc on affected airlines.

And following in the footsteps of Qatar Airways’ ‘Laptop Loan’ system, Emirates is bringing in a similar service.

Beginning yesterday, travellers in First and Business Class will be able to borrow tablets onboard US-bound flights to allow them to keep working throughout the flight.

As part of this latest service, Emirates premium customers will have a Microsoft Surface tablets equipped with Microsoft Office 2016 available for loan on board. Customers can download their work on to a USB which can be brought on board and plugged into the devices to continue working.

The service is complimentary and will be available on all non-stop flights from Dubai to Emirates’ US destinations.

The new service is in response to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) directive which requires all passengers travelling on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai to check-in their laptops, tablets, and other personal electronic devices larger than a smart phone.

It comes as the question of travel insurance covering checked-in valuables continues to hover, largely unresolved, and Emirates previously made a bit of fun of the ban and need for laptops onboard.

Emirates has also introduced a laptop and tablet handling service for US-bound customers. This complimentary service has been made available to passengers in all cabin classes since 25 March 2017, which was when the new TSA rules took effect.

This service allows customers to hang onto their personal devices until just before they board their US-bound flights, when they have to hand over their ‘larger’ banned electronics to security staff before boarding.

They’re then packed and tagged and returned upon arrival in the US.

To date, nearly 8,000 passengers have utilised Emirates’ laptop and tablet handling service on the airline’s 112 weekly non-stop flights departing Dubai International airport to cities in the USA.

Emirates customers flying to the US can find out more about how the new TSA rules impact them at www.emirates.com/electronicsban.

Emirates serves 12 US airports with passenger flights – Newark (EWR), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Washington (IAD) and New York (JFK).

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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