What is a checkpoint-friendly laptop bag and why is it important for mobile professionals to know about these?
This is a new designation being applied to a style of laptop bags that will hopefully make it easier and quicker for you to pass through security checkpoints while traveling, such as airport security. The design of the laptop bag will allow security personnel to obtain a clear image of your laptop for security purposes.
Security personnel are trained to know what a proper image should look like of an X-rayed image of a laptop and will be able to determine that the item is truly a laptop or if there have been non-standard alternations made. At that point you would be directed to a secondary inspection.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States are behind this initiative to encourage those who travel with their laptops to buy or use laptop bags which they deem “checkpoint-friendly”.
The TSA has set certain standards to determine if a laptop bag will be deemed checkpoint-friendly.
These standards are:
- Designated laptop-only section (no other gear or items packed with the laptop)
- The section where the laptop is stored can be opened flat when placed on the X-ray belt
- The laptop section must not contain any metal which includes zippers, snaps and buckles
- You must not pack anything other than the laptop in the laptop-only section
- you should also ensure that there are not thick dividers inside the laptop-only section. These can interfere with the ability to get a clear image of the laptop. You may face secondary screening if a clear image cannot be obtained due to any interference with the bag design or how you have packed it.
- Make sure that the design of the laptop-only section does not include logos, stickers or other decorative elements which could also interfere with the ability to obtain a clear image.
As you may realize from the above information, taking an X-ray image of your laptop will not harm the laptop.