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TSA Checkpoint Friendly MacBook Pro Case

DisneyEcho

DisneyEcho

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2008
86
61
New Orleans
My wife has a question and maybe someone here can help:

"I am looking for a TSA Checkpoint Friendly carrying case for*an Apple MacBook Pro 17" laptop. Need something I won't have*to open when having to put the laptop on TSA conveyor belt*at airports, holds*computer snugly, storage for just the power cord. Prefer something*with a strap or handle to help carry it easily. I'm a housewife who flies with the family on a vacation once*a year, so I'm not carrying any other accessories, business*files, office equipment, etc. other than the MacBook Pro*power cord. I'd like to have a color other than black or grey,*some choice of colors preferred."

Thanks in advance!
 
You may find this unhelpful, but I honestly wouldn't bother with "TSA-friendly" cases if you're buying one to get through the checkpoint faster (as opposed to buying one because you like how it looks). I've been in probably every major metropolitan airport on either coast of the US plus a good number of the major international terminals abroad.

In the States there's no rhyme or reason in determining whether or not you'll need to pull your laptop out of its case even if it's in a TSA-"friendly" bag. On numerous occasions in multiple airports I've had to take it out of the case on one trip, but not for another just a week later.

So in conclusion: a TSA-friendly bag isn't going to save you time, especially if it's just once a year you're traveling on a plane.
 
I agre with Miles. I have a Victorinox messenger bag that is "TSA-friendly" but I was still asked to remove my computer from the bag at both Pearson International Airport (Toronto) and Hong Kong International Airport. I mean if you absolutely want one, Victorinox has a few and Kenneth Cole as well but there is no guarantee that security won't ask you to pull your computer out.
 
I used to travel 100K+ miles a year....(thank God that chapter of my life is closed)! I started using a sleeve with an open top that came with my Tumi bag. There seems to be no science behind if you need to take them out or not. Sometimes the TSA folks don't ask, other times they bust your chops and give you a look when you give them a double take when they ask. I noticed they seem to harass people who look to be traveling for vacation rather then business folks. I have no idea why that is...I doubt little Timmy with his juice box and bag of chips can take over a plane!
 
BobbyCarbn said:
I used to travel 100K+ miles a year....(thank God that chapter of my life is closed)! I started using a sleeve with an open top that came with my Tumi bag. There seems to be no science behind if you need to take them out or not. Sometimes the TSA folks don't ask, other times they bust your chops and give you a look when you give them a double take when they ask. I noticed they seem to harass people who look to be traveling for vacation rather then business folks. I have no idea why that is...I doubt little Timmy with his juice box and bag of chips can take over a plane!
Click to expand...

So true! As another 140+k/year traveller, I concur. TSA folks always seems to give the families/vacationers the trouble. I've gotten away with just leaving my MBP in an incase sleeve inside my rollerboard without any issues. 9/10 times I've never been called out for this. Sometimes, the screener will ask if I have a laptop in the case, and they will then open it up and do a GC swab, but other than that, have not really been stopped. I fly through many airports annually, but home base is KBOS/KLGA and I have never had an issue. Again, check-point friendly bags in my opinion are just a gimmick. Most of them are outrageously expensive, relative to their "non-checkpoint friendly" counterparts. OP, if your wife is only traveling once per year, I don't think a checkpoint friendly bag is really worth it, especially since she is mostly going to be asked to take her laptop out of the bag anyway.
 
I was in Ontario airport two months ago and the TSA officer said it was procedure to not only take my laptop out of its bag but also put it in its own container... what's up with that? :eek:
 
Necromancy of an old thread, but I just got a Level 8 laptop bag for my new MBP from the Apple Store, and didn't know what "Checkpoint friendly" meant. Did a little digging, and found this:
TSA Checkpoint Friendly website page

It zips open, has nothing obstructing the laptop and allows x-rays to see the laptop innards clearly. Nifty!
 
miles01110 said:
You may find this unhelpful, but I honestly wouldn't bother with "TSA-friendly" cases if you're buying one to get through the checkpoint faster (as opposed to buying one because you like how it looks). I've been in probably every major metropolitan airport on either coast of the US plus a good number of the major international terminals abroad.

In the States there's no rhyme or reason in determining whether or not you'll need to pull your laptop out of its case even if it's in a TSA-"friendly" bag. On numerous occasions in multiple airports I've had to take it out of the case on one trip, but not for another just a week later.

So in conclusion: a TSA-friendly bag isn't going to save you time, especially if it's just once a year you're traveling on a plane.
Click to expand...

Word. I've travelled a lot and you still need to put your laptop bag through the X-Ray machine and they have the right to search it at any time.

Just get a nice bag you can afford.
 
I mainly posted this because the TSA website page I linked was updated 17 days ago, and this old thread had outdated advice, based on the new policy. At least, I hope the new policy is accurate, and you can indeed leave laptops in these specially designed bags.
 
The Incase neoprene cases are known to be TSA-friendly. There's still a chance they will ask you to remove the notebook from the case though..
 
GrandPhrase said:
The Incase neoprene cases are known to be TSA-friendly. There's still a chance they will ask you to remove the notebook from the case though..
Click to expand...
Sure, and they have that right, but I'm hoping that by leaving a printout of their policy on the other half of the butterfly-opened case, they might recognize their own letterhead on the page, and give it one pass in the case before automatically telling me to take it out. I'm going to give it a shot, since I fly somewhere twice a month these days, and see how it goes.

Fingers crossed! :)
 
wonderspark said:
Necromancy of an old thread, but I just got a Level 8 laptop bag for my new MBP from the Apple Store, and didn't know what "Checkpoint friendly" meant. Did a little digging, and found this:
TSA Checkpoint Friendly website page

It zips open, has nothing obstructing the laptop and allows x-rays to see the laptop innards clearly. Nifty!
Click to expand...

I have the Level 8 backpack, and I've never had to pull my laptop out of the bag, and I've been through quite a few checkpoints (ANC, SEA, SLC, PHX, LAX, ATL, MSP, CVG, etc.) in the last 18 months...
 
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