After
U.S. officials announced that some international passengers wouldn’t be allowed
to board their flights with a dead smartphone or laptop, British Airways became
one of the first carriers to announce a similar policy change.
Customers
may be asked to turn on any electronic or battery powered devices such as
telephones, tablets, e-books and laptops in front of security teams and/or
demonstrate the item’s functionality,” reads BA’s statement, posted late
Monday.
If
your phone is out or power and you are unable to demonstrate that your device
has power, the device will not be allowed to travel on your planned service.”
The
message to travelers: Charge all your electric gizmos and gadgets well ahead of
any attempt to board a U.S.-bound flight. And if you can’t find an open power
outlet in the Darwinian hunt for a charging source at the airport, you’re out
of luck.
The
rational for this directive is unclear but security seems to be the only clear
answer.
Back in 2010, for instance, a pair of bombs capable of taking down an airliner
were found on a U.S.-bound cargo flight, and the devices were designed to be
triggered by a cellphone.
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