US/UK ban on electronic devices on flights from certain countries

We have read with great dismay about the recent ban on most electronic devices in carry-on luggage from certain countries. We had planned to return to the US on Qatar from Doha next year, and that flight would be affected. I was wondering what thoughts others might have on how best to proceed. We have several thoughts: 1. buy cheap devices that, if lost or damaged, won't cause much angst. 2. take the risk of theft or damage and take the devices we want but use flash drives to save photos and sensitive files and put them in carry on luggage. 3. ship our luggage with laptops, ipads and cameras directly home from Silversea.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with shipping electronics home from SS or from others who have already figured out how to cope with this situation. We do not want to change our flights for several reasons: 1. We really like Qatar Airways. 2. Other alternatives are more expensive. 3. I am protesting the US's new policy and will not take my business away from those airlines.

Thanks so much for your input.

More information this evening:

The airlines are still figuring this out, but Emirates just today announced a solution that allows fliers to keep their devices in hand until it's time to fly.

This new service, available only at Dubai International Airport, will have US-bound passengers declaring and handing over their devices to security staff posted at the boarding gates. According to Emirates, the devices will then be "carefully packed into boxes, loaded into the aircraft hold and returned to the customer at their US destination."

We have read with great dismay about the recent ban on most electronic devices in carry-on luggage from certain countries. We had planned to return to the US on Qatar from Doha next year, and that flight would be affected. I was wondering what thoughts others might have on how best to proceed. We have several thoughts: 1. buy cheap devices that, if lost or damaged, won't cause much angst. 2. take the risk of theft or damage and take the devices we want but use flash drives to save photos and sensitive files and put them in carry on luggage. 3. ship our luggage with laptops, ipads and cameras directly home from Silversea.

 

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with shipping electronics home from SS or from others who have already figured out how to cope with this situation. We do not want to change our flights for several reasons: 1. We really like Qatar Airways. 2. Other alternatives are more expensive. 3. I am protesting the US's new policy and will not take my business away from those airlines.

 

Thanks so much for your input.

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I already considered that, but the flight schedules, number of flights, and prices are significantly worse than Qatar's offering.

Emirates is a fantastic airline as well as Qatar. BTW all flights flying out of the restricted countries must comply with the so called temporary ban on electronic devices including US carriers which there are not many.

This really makes no sense as I can fly from Dubai to Milan or Rome to JFK with EK and I will be able to keep my devices onboard. This only effects non-stop flights to the US from the listed countries and now the U.K. has implemented the same restrictions.

Miles

Emirates is a fantastic airline as well as Qatar. BTW all flights flying out of the restricted countries must comply with the so called temporary ban on electronic devices including US carriers which there are not many.

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to further compound the issue, TASA and feds are considering the same restrictions on all flights coming into USA from overseas.

I forgot that United discontinued service from IAD-DXB last year. So you now have no choices of American carriers fly from those countries non-stop. Terriorists can still go to other non affected countries and fly an American carrier non-stop.

We fly EK a lot and many business people work on those 14-15 hour flights and buy premium cabin seats F & J. Now we heard they may start this on Asian flights.. Working off an IPHONE is difficult.

We'll be flying out of Dubai December 4 back to the US so plenty of time for this ban to be lifted, better understood, or unfortunately even expanded. That's sufficient time to adjust and figure out how to handle but the thought of putting a valuable, in our case our iPads, in checked luggage is not attractive. Not only do we like to use them for entertainment during our flights but we also are very careful not to put anything of high value in our checked luggage. In all our travel we've only had one item disappear and that was a pair of my wife's designer sunglasses. Even then she may have misplaced them during her trip but we always remember that when packing and checked luggage contents is usually limited to clothing, shoes, etc., with as little of pilferable value as possible.

Absolute silliness...the only thing ever pilfered were Christmas gifts and gum!

Absolute silliness...the only thing ever pilfered were Christmas gifts and gum!

In as much as they busted a ring of baggage handlers here in San Antonio pilfering luggage two years ago it's not so silly to at least try to keep the value of items in checked luggage as low as possible. We're not paranoid about it but also don't put cameras, laptops, jewelry, or other relatively high value easily pocketed items in our checked luggage if we can avoid it.

Pilfering Is Big in African airports and even in Miami they have caught several rings that have been arrested. Of course my opinion of MIA is that it is the arm pit of airports. Most US airports are the pits compared to Singapore, Dubai and other European and Asian countries. Not to mention security is held at a higher level.

Update from Qatar Airways - We can keep our electronics with us until we reach Doha. They they will be gate checked, inventoried and placed in a special area for our flight from Doha to the USA. It will probably make the boarding and arrival process longer, but so be it. The airline is one of the best.

Great relief, but I will still need to do proper back up of files and photos.

Simple solution is to send all would be hold Luggage via the excellent Silver Valet Service from Home to Ship and return.Done it for over ten years ,never had a problem.Makes flying experience acceptable.

Simple solution is to send all would be hold Luggage via the excellent Silver Valet Service from Home to Ship and return.Done it for over ten years ,never had a problem.Makes flying experience acceptable.

Which is fine but it still means either way you won't have access to your tablet or laptop or other electronics on your flights out of the now restricted airports/countries. We enjoy having our own music, books, etc., available on flights, particularly long hauls between the US and Europe and return. Obviously the trip over won't be an issue and we're hoping that we'll be able to retrieve our iPads in Heathrow after our flight from Dubai.

Randyk47 - I suggest you check with your airline to see what their policy will be. We had been afraid that we would have to check our electronics in our checked baggage in Singapore, but apparently, we can carry it on until we depart Doha for the USA.

Brimary - We have seriously considered using the SS baggage valet service, but I had to have all my electronics (iPads, cameras and possibly a laptop) out of my control for a week or more.

Thanks all for your help.

Randyk47 - I suggest you check with your airline to see what their policy will be. We had been afraid that we would have to check our electronics in our checked baggage in Singapore, but apparently, we can carry it on until we depart Doha for the USA.

 

Brimary - We have seriously considered using the SS baggage valet service, but I had to have all my electronics (iPads, cameras and possibly a laptop) out of my control for a week or more.

 

Thanks all for your help.

I agree things will clarify, maybe even change, but at this time, according to British Airways, short of our iPhones pretty much every thing else electronic including our iPads and cameras will have to go in checked luggage at least from Dubai to London. Dubai is the end of our cruise so it'll be our point if origin for our return. Maybe, hopefully, we'd be able to retrieve our iPads in London but we're staying on British Airways to Dallas and I don't remember touching our luggage last time we connected Istanbul to London to Dallas on British Airways.

I don't think the ban is in effect between Dubai and U.K., only to the US. Confirm with your airline. You may not have a problem keeping your electronics with you on the flight.

Some confusion has been caused because at this moment the US and UK lists are different. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco -- are absent from the U.K. restrictions.

Hope this helps ......

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http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/25/news/companies/why-dubai-electronic-ban-us-uk/

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Some confusion has been caused because at this moment the US and UK lists are different. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco -- are absent from the U.K. restrictions.

 

Hope this helps ......

 

 

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http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/25/news/companies/why-dubai-electronic-ban-us-uk/

 

 

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That's good news! My information was coming through American Airlines as most of our trip is booked through them on their medal except for the Dubai to London and London to Dallas legs which are on British Airways. Whew! Hopefully it doesn't get expanded. 🤞

That's good news! My information was coming through American Airlines as most of our trip is booked through them on their medal except for the Dubai to London and London to Dallas legs which are on British Airways. Whew! Hopefully it doesn't get expanded. 🤞

No probs, happy to help. It's been a real puzzler with almost everyone confused. The problem is that many people are totally self-sufficient when it comes to long haul travel and want their own preloaded items to amuse themselves whilst on board. When on-board ICE goes down and you have no backup very long flights can be a nightmare. The shame is that this is not going to protect anyone from bad boys wanting to bring down a plane. It is just useless tokenism.

I know every normal sensible person knows but the secret is to double check with the airline very shortly before departure as this seems to be a fluid situation.

Safe and enjoyable travels all.

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This is not true as U.S. carriers are not affected because none of them fly from the airports in question to the U.S.

 

 

 

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We've flown direct from Dubai to Dallas on Qatar. Unless, they no longer do so, you can fly direct to the US.