Tim Almond

From The Times: Insurers refuse to cover iPods and phones in airline luggage

Insurers aren’t going to cover your laptop if you check it in, but the airlines aren’t going to allow it on as baggage.

Insurance aside, this ban isn’t going to last.

I used to fly to Glasgow on business. I could arrive 2 hours before the flight, and still use it in the pre-flight lounge to get some work done. I could use it on the flight. Pre-take off, I could phone the taxi company in Glasgow to tell them that the plane had taken off, so they knew approximately when to get me.

My laptop wasn’t expensive, but having it present was crucial. The project was fluid, in that requirements were changing every day. The development tools were on my laptop, so I could change the code while sitting with a client, and then make it live. I also used it after work for development as I was stuck in a hotel room with nothing else to do.

For a lot of business people, arriving at their destination without their laptop means they may as well get back on the plane and go home. 

I took the plane because it was the best option at the time. But putting my laptop at risk? No chance. I’d rather take an hour or 2 longer and drive or take the train.

Other people will find a way around this too. If I had to fly to New York on business, I’d take a Eurostar to Paris and then take a flight from Charles de Gaulle to Newark. It would add a few hours and £100, but it would be worth it.

What abour leisure travellers too? If an American is "doing Europe", it’s probably not a big deal to change the itinerary to start at Paris instead. Do they want their kids to have books, crayons and a Nintendo DS, or not? What’s having a pleasant flight worth to them?

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Tags: Politics, Travel //