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iPad Pro plus Smart Keyboard at the airport?

spiderman0616

spiderman0616

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Original poster
Aug 1, 2010
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Serious question here: have any of you taken an iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard through airport security yet? I will be travelling next month for work and plan on taking my iPad Pro with me, but also will be required to bring my old crappy work laptop. I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it if I have to take a zillion gadgets out of my bag just to get through the airport.

In the past, my iPad have not been required to come out of the bag, but I feel like the keyboard might change that situation.
 
In the UK most airports want all devices out of your hand luggage. I had to get out a laptop, iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard, iPad Air 2, kindle and both phones last time. That said, I'm pretty speedy at re-packing everything so it didn't take all that long.

At airports where they've not cared about devices only laptops in the past I've left my iPad Air 2 and keyboard in the slip case in my bag and they didn't mind. (I didn't have the pro at that time, but a keyboard is a keyboard.)

So: YMMV depending on staff and the airport.
 
Why not just detach the keyboard and put it in another bag / slot / compartment? Then technically your iPad is still an iPad and not a "looks too much like a laptop to me"?
 
spiderman0616 said:
Serious question here: have any of you taken an iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard through airport security yet? I will be travelling next month for work and plan on taking my iPad Pro with me, but also will be required to bring my old crappy work laptop. I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it if I have to take a zillion gadgets out of my bag just to get through the airport.

In the past, my iPad have not been required to come out of the bag, but I feel like the keyboard might change that situation.
Click to expand...

Assuming you're in the US, TSA doesnt require to take a tablet out; traveled dozens of times with large pro, no issue.
 
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jqc said:
Assuming you're in the US, TSA doesnt require to take a tablet out; traveled dozens of times with large pro, no issue.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm in the US. I think I'm going to try leaving it in the bag with the keyboard on it and just see what happens.

The reason I hate taking the iPad out is because I HATE watching those huge heavy flaps of thick plastic whack down on top of my gadgets as they go through the scanner. I have the front covered by the smart keyboard and the back covered by the silicon case, but I'd hate to have those items damaged by those stupid flaps falling on top of them. I know it's kind of just me being nitpicky, but those accessories weren't cheap!!!
 
Yep! Traveled three times with the iPad Pro & Keyboard. Left it in the bag with no problems.

Oddly enough, Twice I was told to take the Surface Pro 3 out of the bag "because it was considered a laptop".

From what I've been told, things that might trigger an issue (e.g. "Take it out of the bag and put it through again"):
  • If the device has a removable battery (this is the reason the TSA Officer thought laptops had to go through separately, even though most modern Macs don't have removable keyboards).
  • If you have multiple (large) tablets stacked on top of each other (one of the times I had to remove the Surface was because I had both a Surface and an iPad in the same bag)
  • If you have a portable battery in the same bag (they may ask you to remove the battery and put it in a separate tray... Kind of removes some of the convience of traveling with...)
If you just have the iPad and the Smart Keyboard, you'll be fine.
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spiderman0616 said:
The reason I hate taking the iPad out is because I HATE watching those huge heavy flaps of thick plastic whack down on top of my gadgets as they go through the scanner. I have the front covered by the smart keyboard and the back covered by the silicon case, but I'd hate to have those items damaged by those stupid flaps falling on top of them. I know it's kind of just me being nitpicky, but those accessories weren't cheap!!!
Click to expand...

The flaps won't hurt anything by falling on them. What they will do is brush "loose" items off. What has happened to me is that I put my jacket in a tray, along with my belt, glasses, and Apple Watch. My jacket and Apple Watch were fine, but the flaps brushed my belt and glasses off onto the belt. The lenses were fine, but the frames were damaged (luckily I had my perscription sun glasses and I wasn't driving - I was getting home around 9:00 PM!).
 
Traveled quite a bit with my Pro in the U.S., always left in bag with smart keyboard connected, zero issues. Did have to take it out in London.
 
My understanding is that it's the fan/cooling system that triggers concern because it is a moving part. If there's no fan, the device simply shows up as slabs (the batteries and motherboard).

So, iPads and the rMB have been fine for me through the conveyor. This also explains why the Surface Pro 3 someone mentioned above was pulled
 
spiderman0616 said:
Yeah, I'm in the US. I think I'm going to try leaving it in the bag with the keyboard on it and just see what happens.

The reason I hate taking the iPad out is because I HATE watching those huge heavy flaps of thick plastic whack down on top of my gadgets as they go through the scanner. I have the front covered by the smart keyboard and the back covered by the silicon case, but I'd hate to have those items damaged by those stupid flaps falling on top of them. I know it's kind of just me being nitpicky, but those accessories weren't cheap!!!
Click to expand...
I don't think you'll have a problem leaving it in the bag. I've taken my 12.9 IPP w/ASK attached through Canada and US Airport security so far. But frankly your "nitpicky" is really just that. The flaps on the Xray tunnel don't "slam down" hard enough to damage your device.
 
Really? An entire discussion about whether you have to take an iPad/keyboard out of a bag? How is an iPad and a keyboard a"zillion" gadgets?

The microspecificity of these forums are hilarious.
 
jqc said:
Assuming you're in the US, TSA doesnt require to take a tablet out; traveled dozens of times with large pro, no issue.
Click to expand...
I live in New Jersey and Newark airport ALWAYS makes me take my iPad out AND put it in a separate container than my laptop. Other airports can be hit or miss.
 
mcdj said:
Really? An entire discussion about whether you have to take an iPad/keyboard out of a bag? How is an iPad and a keyboard a"zillion" gadgets?

The microspecificity of these forums are hilarious.
Click to expand...
And a work laptop.
 
Leave it in your carry on bag, I did and was just in New Orleans more than a month ago....everything went by smooth just like with a regular tablet
 
I just traveled thourhg Detroit, LAX, Santa Ana, and DFW with my 12.9iPP and smart keyboard and left them both in my backpack and no one said a word.
 
macfanrutler said:
I live in New Jersey and Newark airport ALWAYS makes me take my iPad out AND put it in a separate container than my laptop. Other airports can be hit or miss.
Click to expand...

Im in Manhattan, have gone through Newark many times, no issue, but now that I think about it, maybe because I have precheck.
 
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