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FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

bloomberg.com

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Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#21

Post by 1e-9 »

saghm wrote: post #17
1e-9 wrote: post #8

In addition to the 432,000 Macbook Pros sold in the US from mid-2015 to 2017 being outright banned from flying, there will be all the other Mackbook Pros sold from about 2013 to mid-2015 that outwardly look just like the banned ones. I suppose all those lookalikes will be pulled out and have their serial numbers checked, which is in microscopic print on the back, which will definitely slow down Pre-check when you wou…

> In addition to the 432,000 Macbook Pros sold in the US from mid-2015 to 2017 being outright banned from flying, there will be all the other Mackbook Pros sold from about 2013 to mid-2015 that outwardly look just like the banned ones. Am I missing something? Weren't the 2016 models the ones that changed to USB-C, q flatter keyboard, etc.? Those don't look identical to the 2015 and earlier models

The mid-2015 models are also covered by the ban.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#22

Post by seanmcdirmid »

1e-9 wrote: post #8

In addition to the 432,000 Macbook Pros sold in the US from mid-2015 to 2017 being outright banned from flying, there will be all the other Mackbook Pros sold from about 2013 to mid-2015 that outwardly look just like the banned ones. I suppose all those lookalikes will be pulled out and have their serial numbers checked, which is in microscopic print on the back, which will definitely slow down Pre-check when you wou…

You can open the MBP up and show the agent your About Mac window in the setting menu. It has the serial number, but more importantly, it will tell them the year of the laptop (mine says mid 2014).

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#23

Post by delinka »

chrisseaton wrote: post #7
jonnismash wrote: post #3

How the heck would a TSA agent know the difference

They have serial numbers on the outside of the cases.

Not readily readable to the human eye. It requires light from the right angle and reading at the right distance. I could totally see Apple providing designer reading tables to TSA for exactly this purpose rather than changing the readability of the text on the outside of the case.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#24

Post by outworlder »

mikeash wrote: post #19
slang800 wrote: post #11

The article doesn't explain how they intend to enforce this ban. A recalled MacBook looks identical to the non-recalled ones, so this seems like a pointless rule.

It will probably be quite effective. Travelers will see these articles, and airlines will probably send out reminders to people not to bring these machines on the plane. Most people with them will get them fixed or leave them at home, and the risk is greatly diminished. It's not a bomb where any failure to keep it off the planes is catastrophic. They can afford to have some people defying the ban.

> where any failure to keep it off the planes is catastrophic

In-flight fires are some of the deadliest issues one mzy encounter. They can indeed be catastrophic.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#26

Post by adonnjohn »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #22
1e-9 wrote: post #8

In addition to the 432,000 Macbook Pros sold in the US from mid-2015 to 2017 being outright banned from flying, there will be all the other Mackbook Pros sold from about 2013 to mid-2015 that outwardly look just like the banned ones. I suppose all those lookalikes will be pulled out and have their serial numbers checked, which is in microscopic print on the back, which will definitely slow down Pre-check when you wou…

You can open the MBP up and show the agent your About Mac window in the setting menu. It has the serial number, but more importantly, it will tell them the year of the laptop (mine says mid 2014).

Doesn't this tiptoe the line with a breach of privacy? Once the computer is unlocked, is there anything stopping them from just seizing devices if they want to review data?

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#28

Post by mikeash »

outworlder wrote: post #24
mikeash wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will probably be quite effective. Travelers will see these articles, and airlines will probably send out reminders to people not to bring these machines on the plane. Most people with them will get them fixed or leave them at home, and the risk is greatly diminished. It's not a bomb where any failure to keep it off the planes is catastrophic. They can afford to have some people defying the ban.

> where any failure to keep it off the planes is catastrophic In-flight fires are some of the deadliest issues one mzy encounter. They can indeed be catastrophic.

Sure, but the odds of a fire actually happening are still quite low. Unlike a bomb, where it's pretty likely to explode in flight because that's the whole point.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#29

Post by r1nkgrl »

mttjj wrote: post #18
r1nkgrl wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'll just scan the serial number when it passes through the x-ray machine, then use some OCR script to process the image and upload it to https://support.apple.com/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall /s

Okay, but does Apple change the serial number when you send it in to get it fixed? How are they supposed to know that I already sent mine in and got a replacement battery from Apple? Guess I have to carry proof around with me? (To be clear I’m not arguing with the poster I’m directly responding to. Just trying to think through this process like the OP mentioned.)

Good point. I don't really expect TSA to carry out what I proposed above, I should have included a /s. It was more to show how straight forward it is to check any device you have physical access to.
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