Always take your laptop as carry on

[Damian75]

My brother in-law not thinking put his laptop in his checked bag when flying back from Italy bad idea now I have to fix it. Kinda looks like a warshack test.

[JWright]

What are we looking at? The screen?

[saravrose]

WOW!!..Maureen and Skip taught us about laptops and traveling..

[Damian75]

Yeah that is the LCD for a 14" Apple ibook I just ordered the replacment and will have to install it this weekend

[BoeingBonkers]

I was on a BMI flight from EGBB to LEPA and when I saw the baggage man unloading he flung it on the top and it fell off, I started banging on the window shouting at him. The FAs were understandably upset with me. I GET SOO ANGRY, silly fat sod just throwing my bag around. Then they go on strike. Seriously I want to harm all baggage loaders. Luckily I pack my lappy in the middle of my clothes and wrapped in a towel, and i put bubble wrap inbetween the screen and keyboard so it diddnt get damaged. Next time I am going to record them on my phone when they are unloading and sue the ass of the baggage handlers.

*Rant Over*

[Damian75]

The impact that broke this one came from the back side of the display

[slappy sam]

from the back... holy crap! that must have been dropped hard.

[ssim]

I was on a BMI flight from EGBB to LEPA and when I saw the baggage man unloading he flung it on the top and it fell off, I started banging on the window shouting at him. The FAs were understandably upset with me. I GET SOO ANGRY, silly fat sod just throwing my bag around. Then they go on strike. Seriously I want to harm all baggage loaders. Luckily I pack my lappy in the middle of my clothes and wrapped in a towel, and i put bubble wrap inbetween the screen and keyboard so it diddnt get damaged. Next time I am going to record them on my phone when they are unloading and sue the ass of the baggage handlers.

*Rant Over*

And you expected him to hear you down there. He probably had his ear protectors on as well.

As a retired airline employee I have been on both sides of this subject. It is absolutely impossible for the handlers to treat each bag with kid gloves. They only have so much time on a turn around.

I have way more gear than I can carry on when I travel, which is alot. I do pack my gear well and check it. I don't do the Pelican type of cases, they just scream, steal me, I have something valuable inside. Rather I use two very good hard sided suitcases. I pack everything in there tightly and I have never had a problem with any of my gear.

I will normally carry on 1 body, a few lenses, one of my 580's and some other select accessories on board. My laptop also goes along with me in a separate briefcase. This is only because I like to work on it while inflight.

In my suitcases I will take all of my other things and pack clothes around them tightly. When it comes time for inspection I can request (and always have received) a hand inspection with me unlocking it and then it gets relocked and the security people put their tape and/or locks on it to signify that it has been searched and passed.

I try to avoid trips that have connections in them. I will try to arrange my flights so that I can claim my baggage on each leg of the journey and then recheck the luggage. My ultimate choice is to send my gear ahead of me as cargo. I try to make it arrive a day or two before me. It makes the trip so much easier.

Flying does not have to be undaunting as some make it out to be. If you plan well and make sure that you pack your gear well, you should have a worry free trip. In this case I think it is a combination of poor packing and rough handling. The latter is never going to go away. Its the nature of he beast. My gear has made dozens of trips across Canada and the US as well several trips to the south Pacific and Eurpoe.

It is really unfortunate what has happened to your laptop. Did you inquire with the airline about a partial liability on this.

[grego]

Damn!!