Qantas and Dell laptops

[Mr_Gimlet]

Wondering if anyone can help me beyond the status of urban legend.

According to an article in the SMH on Wednesday, Qantas has banned 'affected' Dell laptops from being used on flights on battery power. According to Friday's Fin Review, Virgin has done the same.

Has anyone had any correspondence or formal guidelines from QF? Although we are complying with the recall, how do flight staff know if it's affected or not? Are they going to play safe and say 'no Dells in flight'?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Wondering if anyone can help me beyond the status of urban legend.

According to an article in The Australian (?) on Wednesday, Qantas has banned Dell laptops from being used on flights on battery power. According to Friday's Fin Review, Virgin has done the same.

Has anyone had any correspondence or formal guidelines from QF?

Sounds odd. I don't know how you can use a laptop without the battery being powered in some way. If its plugged into the seat, the batteries always being recharged.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Sounds odd. I don't know how you can use a laptop without the battery being powered in some way. If its plugged into the seat, the batteries always being recharged.

If you are using in-seat power (and following the official instructions), you are supposed to take the battery out anyway and run off AC. This is the current Dell recommendation for at-risk laptops: ditch the battery and run off AC

 

[vt]

You can take your battery out and can still use your laptop if there is an external power source.

 

[serfty]

... Has anyone had any correspondence or formal guidelines from QF? Although we are complying with the recall, how do flight staff know if it's affected or not? Are they going to play safe and say 'no Dells in flight'?

Information from the Qantas help website: Using Dell laptop computers inflight

Dell has recently issued a battery recall. For details on the affected batteries visit the Dell website.

Dell laptop computers affected by the recall may still be carried in both your checked and carry-on baggage.

Dell Laptop computers affected by the recall, that have not had the battery replaced, can only be used inflight by:

1. Battery power only, or
2. Aircraft mains power - but only with the battery removed from the computer. (Removal of the battery should occur before connecting to aircraft power.)

 

[Dave Noble]

Has anyone had any correspondence or formal guidelines from QF? Although we are complying with the recall, how do flight staff know if it's affected or not? Are they going to play safe and say 'no Dells in flight'?

On tuesday, the rule was that no Dell computers could be used inflight.

For those using PC wannabes ( macs ) , dont be surprised if they are banned soon given Apple recalling batteries too ( Apple recalls laptop batteries - World - smh.com.au )

Dave

 

[NM]

One has to wonder how many other laptop manufacturers are also affected by the faulty batteries (seems they are manufactured by Sony in the main) that have not issued a recall.

 

[bigjobs]

yep this is true, heard it on sky news this morning. dell laptops banned from use in flight.

it's a wonder they haven't linked this to an iraqi, syrian, palestinian group of 18-35 year olds who have links to al kyder and JI who are disaffected cause they can't get their WP status renewed while only 50 SC's short for the year and cause they never get their forward aisle seating preference while people with no status get OP UP's and sit further forward on the plane than they do.

 

[simongr]

What I dont understand is that teh guys who works for me and I both have identical Dell laptops but his being delayed delivery because the battery that they put in his new laptop has been recalled. There seems to be no consistency or similar time frame for the common issues.

Re the Qantas policy the need to realise that just taking out the battery fixes the problem and I would argue with anyone who said that I couldnt use my laptop o the plane...

 

[SeatBackForward]

Re the Qantas policy the need to realise that just taking out the battery fixes the problem and I would argue with anyone who said that I couldnt use my laptop o the plane...

Good Luck. You're talking about an industry thats still struggling with the concept of "flight mode"

 

[Dave Noble]

Re the Qantas policy the need to realise that just taking out the battery fixes the problem and I would argue with anyone who said that I couldnt use my laptop o the plane...

There is no issue using the laptop without the battery connected

Dace

 

[NM]

There is no issue using the laptop without the battery connected

Dace

According to Dell, the only issue is when charging the battery from the charger. So using the laptop (even those affected by the recall with the bad batteries) on battery power only does not pose any risk of the battery overheating. The only time there is a risk of the faulty batteries overheating is when they are charging.

So they are safe to use on battery power with the charge not connected. And they are safe to use via the charger when the battery has been removed. Just don't use them via the charger with the battery installed.

So there should be no issue at all with using a Dell or Apple laptop in an aircraft or cabin that does not provide a power source for the charger.

Hopefully common sense will eventually apply.

 

[simongr]

Hopefully common sense will eventually apply.

Are you sure you fly regularly ?

 

[DPG]

I have filled in the form on Apple's website and will try to get a replacement battery tomorrow.

I must admit, I have noticed my computer getting particularly hot recently...

Lucky I am not going anywhere soon!

D P G

 

[bigjobs]

I have filled in the form on Apple's website and will try to get a replacement battery tomorrow.

I must admit, I have noticed my computer getting particularly hot recently...

Lucky I am not going anywhere soon!

D P G

no more hotter than usual ... the heat on your laptop is just more salient now that it is all over the news and topic of discussions ... you just pay more attention to it cause of a certain part of your brain that functions in a certain way

 

[DPG]

no more hotter than usual ... the heat on your laptop is just more salient now that it is all over the news and topic of discussions ... you just pay more attention to it cause of a certain part of your brain that functions in a certain way

Sadly no, as I had noticed it before the increase in heat before the announcement of either recall... Even worse, is that Apple is going to take 4-6 weeks to replace the battery, so my laptop is a desktop for the next 4-6 weeks!

D P G

 

[Mal]

The battery swapout carnival continues. Will Qantas ban all laptop batteries soon?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=BATT-LENOVO

"
Dear Lenovo Customer,

Lenovo and IBM Corporation, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies, have announced the voluntary recall of certain lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony Corporation. In the interest of public safety, Lenovo will offer customers free-of-charge replacement batteries for all recalled batteries. View Battery recall FAQs.

IBM and Lenovo sold these Sony batteries in systems listed below between February 2005 and September 2006. Customers who bought one of the following systems may have a battery subject to this recall:

* ThinkPad R Series (R51e, R52, R60, R60e)
* ThinkPad T Series (T43, T43p, T60)
* ThinkPad X Series (X60, X60s)

Additionally, since these batteries can also be used with ThinkPad T4x Series or ThinkPad R5x Series systems, customers who ordered an extra battery or received a replacement battery for any ThinkPad T4x or ThinkPad R5x Series notebook PC between February 2005 and September 2006 may also have a battery subject to recall.
"

 

[NM]

* ThinkPad R Series (R51e, R52, R60, R60e)
* ThinkPad T Series (T43, T43p, T60)
* ThinkPad X Series (X60, X60s)

Hmm, that's pretty much the current IBM/Lenovo range.

Better keep my old T41 around a little longer just for the travel benefits .

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

at security last night a pax was being questioned about strange xray profile of his laptop - he didn't have a battery because it was one of the recalled ones!

 

[JohnK]

* ThinkPad R Series (R51e, R52, R60, R60e)

I hope I am safe. I have an R50e which I bought in May 2006 and have not ordered a replacement battery or bought an extra battery.