We’ve mentioned some of the bags that will comply with their “Checkthrough” regulations the past, and now the TSA has finally posted the official procedures for getting through their checkpoints without actually removing your laptop; of course all will hinge on consumers purchasing the proper type of bag…
TSA screens laptops to see if the electronics have been tampered with. TSOs know what the inside of a computer should look like, and can recognize irregularities. This is why they need an unobstructed view as the item moves through the X-ray machine.
Purchasing one of these bags will not guarantee that you can leave your laptop in your bag for screening. If a TSO finds that the bag does not present a clear and distinct image of the laptop separate from the rest of the bag, the laptop will have to be screened separately.
How can you be sure that your laptop bag is “checkpoint friendly”? Here are the guidelines:
Of course, nothing can ever be as simple as we might like, right? The TSA isn’t “approving or endorsing any bag design or manufacturer” and they “will only allow laptops to stay in bags through screening if they provide a clear and unobstructed X-ray image of the laptop.” In addition, the TSA “reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop regardless of the design of the bag.”
My guess is that there will still be a line at the beginning of the TSA conveyor belt for some time; between the people who won’t want to upgrade their bags and the bags that simply won’t pass, I suspect the time saved will be minimal. Hopefully that will improve in time. 🙂
Link: TSA: New ‘Checkpoint Friendly’ Laptop Bag Procedures
Link: Skooba Design’s Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags: Yes, We Have Photos!
Link: More Checkpoint Friendly Bags; These From Mobile Edge