The airport security process just got a little easier for laptop-laden travelers.
A new Transportation Security Agency regulation, which went into effect this past Saturday, allows passengers to leave their laptop computers in “checkpoint-friendly” cases when going through security lines.
TSA has been working with manufacturers since the beginning of the year to create bags that meet the checkpoint-friendly standards by containing a designated laptop-only section; having no metal snaps, zippers, or buckles as part of the laptop section; and eliminating pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop section. According to TSA, more than 60 manufacturers have expressed an interest in producing these checkpoint-friendly cases, and 40 have submitted prototypes for testing.
Among the companies already marketing TSA-approved bags are Mobile Edge, Targus, and Skooba Design.
Even with the new cases, there is no guarantee air passengers will be able to leave laptops in their bags for screening. According to TSA, if 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.”
