Pending Camera Ban...Plan B?

I think you will be unpleasantly surprised at the cost of shipping your camera internationally, though I guess it would help if you only had to ship the camera body. You can go to usps.com and check the shipping cost based on estimated weight. Private alternatives like FedEx will likely be considerably costlier. Be careful about insurance. There are typically exclusions, though I have no reason to think that cameras are a problem.

I'm sorry that I don't have a good suggestion for you. I'm traveling now with a tablet computer that it seems I will have to place in checked baggage on the way home.

I'm trying to figure out logistics for this, too. I fly to Europe in 2 weeks and as an avid photographer I'm a little worried about my camera. I avoid checked bags if possible and don't trust TSA/airport baggage handlers not to steal or destroy thousands of dollars of equipment.

From what I've read, IF the wider ban does go into effect, it will most likely be only on flights FROM Europe TO the US, not both ways. So, you should still be able to take your dslr/lenses as carry-on on the way to Europe, then ship it back via UPS/FedEx/DHL/etc from your last stop.

My plan so far based on the info I know: pack my dslr in my carry-on on the way to Europe, enjoy the trip, find a post office/service center in my last town (already located it on Google Maps) to send the camera body back. That way I only have to pay for shipping it one way, not two.

Everything I have read concerns incoming flights FROM Europe, not outgoing flights TO Europe. Is the latest update for both ways?

This is the latest I've heard:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-airline-electronics-ban-idUSKBN1881L0

Sounds like our people are talking it over with E.U. people sometime this week. This paragraph stands out:

"The EU said in a document approved Thursday and reviewed by Reuters that it did not "have information that would require the adoption of additional security measures, such as the restrictions being considered by the U.S authorities." The EU document added that placing laptops in luggage holds "presents an increased safety risk to the aircraft, due to the lithium batteries contained in such devices."

I hope EASA (EU counterpart of FAA) imposes a retaliatory ban on electronics brought from US-originating flights, if a ban on flights departing from Europe is imposed.

Andre, I hope so too.

I have a feeling the business community may make a big enough fuss on this to maybe keep it from happening. Or maybe I'm just indulging in wishful thinking.

I hope none of it happens. All those lithium batteries in the hold worry me. Sounds like the EU counterpart has their heads on straight.

Interesting article... askthepilot

I hope EASA (EU counterpart of FAA) imposes a retaliatory ban on electronics brought from US-originating flights, if a ban on flights departing from Europe is imposed.

How will that accomplish anything?

Interesting article... askthepilot

Yes, interesting. It raises the issue I was thinking about the other day: why would it be safer to have a bomb in checked baggage rather than in carry-on? Is the screening better for checked baggage? Are they concerned about the types of bombs that might need personal intervention to detonate? I haven't seen any discussion of this.

I believe this all stems from the bombing of a Somali airplane.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/africa/somalia-plane-bomb/

Since the ban involves electronic devices in the cabin, the implication is that the device must somehow be manually activated.

I'll just adjust how I travel to the rules. I have a padded case for my tablet and if I sandwich it between clothes it would probably survive being in a checked bag. I have a small micro four thirds format camera. If needed I can probably improvise some padding. I'm thinking about getting a roll of bubble wrap from an office supply store. Cut and tape as necessary.

As someone who loves to travel with electronics and who narrowly missed getting stranded overseas with electronics last March, I have been following the new restrictions intently.

If I were in your shoes, I would prepare for one of these three options:

• Leave the camera at home, and don't take it to Europe;
• Ship the camera home from your final destination in Europe;
• Put your camera in checked baggage.

None of these options are appealing.

Hopefully, Homeland Security or the airlines will come up with some other options. Perhaps ...

• Allow passengers to gate check their electronics, similar to what Turkish and Emirates are currently doing.
• Exempt Global Entry and other trusted travelers from the ban. Some industry groups are encouraging this option, but it looks unlikely.
• Allow an option for additional screening for passengers who choose to travel with electronics. Perhaps charge a fee for the additional screening.

However, there is no guarantee that any of these other options will materialize. It's just wishful thinking on my part.

Sigh.

...and the fact that when you go thru security and have a tablet or laptop, you pull it out separately and they can physically check it if need be...just thankful Canada is where I fly from and hopefully we don't get caught up in this...I don't 'need' to take my tablet on the plane, but I do like to read magazines or listen to music/podcasts on the plane...and don't like checking my bag...

Ok. I have not heard about this. So if I take my Sony mirrorless camera to Scotland with me does that mean they won't let me board the plane with it on the way back?

Ok. I have not heard about this. So if I take my Sony mirrorless
camera to Scotland with me does that mean they won't let me board the
plane with it on the way back?

Tenni, yes, that will most likely be the case. The new rules have not taken effect yet, and so no one can say for sure exactly what they will be. However, all indications are that no electronic devices other than cell phones will be allowed in airplane cabins on flights coming into the US.

The rule was supposed to take effect last week, but Homeland Security has delayed it for a week or so, pending some meetings with European officials in Brussels tomorrow.

Cameras will almost certainly be banned. I have heard conflicting stories about whether or not lenses will be banned from cabins.

If the ban goes into effect from Europe to the US, it will happen quickly and without further warning. So it is very possible that people traveling anytime soon could find themselves in Europe and unable to carry on their electronics and camera.

First and foremost to anyone traveling soon, BE PREPARED. Have a plan or way to bring your electronics home in checked baggage or ship them home. Bring a case for them or way for them to be padded so they don't get damaged. While people will fear theft, the biggest threat really will be damage from being inside a checked bag that gets tossed around. Make sure all computer devices are backed up and password protected. Camera cards should stay with you in the carry on bags.

The other thing is to expect confusion and different interpretations. So plan to check anything electronic other than maybe your cell phone. Don't risk keeping something only to find out at security that you cannot bring it on board with you. Expect anguished passengers on tv complaining about missing their flight home because security wouldn't let them through with this or that. Don't be one of them.

I wonder if there is a UPS store in Edinburgh where I could ship my camera from?

@Douglas --- well said!

Latest news: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/world/europe/laptop-ban-flight-europe-us.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=7&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F05%2F17%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Flaptop-ban-flight-europe-us.html&eventName=Watching-article-click

"Officials said the restrictions were put in place after intelligence showed that the Islamic State was developing a bomb that could be hidden in portable electronic devices."
How many decades ago was Lockerbee? But maybe the current problem involves bombs that can elude the commonly-used means of detection.

The EU and US have agreed NOT to impose a ban on larger electronics/cameras on flights from the EU to the US. Keep an eye out for any new security restrictions or processes that might be imposed, but it does seem to be a relief.

I don't think this is totally off the table, but I hope that if/when the carry-on ban of electronics larger than a smartphone is imposed, the airlines will have some plans in place.

A couple of airlines in the Mideast who are already dealing with this, have created a "gate check" system. Here's an article about one guy's experience flying Emirates: https://thepointsguy.com/2017/03/flying-emirates-electronics-ban/ Obviously, that's a labor-intensive process for the airlines, but it addresses the customers' fears of theft and damage, and probably lowers the risks of fires from lithium batteries improperly packed in checked bags. I read another article about a similar gate-check and reclaim process for electronics, I think that was by a Turkish airline.

I'd be much more comfortable putting my camera body into a gate-check situation like that, than putting it in my checked bag.

By the way, if you're going to ship your electronics back home from abroad, don't forget that you'll have to fill out customs forms. I don't know if the powers that be will hassle anybody, but it would be handy to be able to show the paperwork that proves you didn't buy the stuff abroad but are simply shipping "personal effects" home. I'm thinking that receipts from your purchases would be enough but I'm no expert.

I believe this all stems from the bombing of a Somali airplane.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/africa/somalia-plane-bomb/
Since the ban involves electronic devices in the cabin, the implication is that the device must somehow be manually activated.

Correct.

A close friend who is a supervisor at SFO cited that particular incident as the one that keeps airline/airport security people awake at night. Since that incident was the first one to get through and successfully execute the explosion via a common device, it's next logical progression is how to make a bigger boom. As the article points out, it all starts with solid security during check-in process and screening of employees. Restricting carry-on electronics does seem short-sighted since the laptop was on a timer and the hour long delay actually saved the flight from catastrophe. Instead a new process in security checking, whereby electronics are viewed with a closer eye during initial scanning would seem to be the better process.

I found this article on the Outdoor Photographer website which gets into more details on what a professional or serious amateur photog can do as Plan B. It plugs the author's workshops but not overmuch, and it's more focused on stuff photographers take on trips than most articles I've found: http://bit.ly/2rjP9nM

I'm not so sure about checking an obviously expensive Pelican case, as the article recommends, because I'm more concerned about theft than damage. I might get a really solid hard case for my camera that I place inside my sort-of ratty looking suitcase - the one that doesn't scream "Look at me! The good stuff's in here!"

The author also suggests taking a "beater" laptop that will just be used to get online and process some photos. Heck, my current laptop already is a "beater." I'm ahead of the game! Who knew?

I think his best piece of advice for those who would go into electronics withdrawal shock on a flight without their tablets or 'puters, is to upgrade to a maxed-out cell phone in terms of power, physical size, and storage capacity.

Besides the worry about checking my camera, the worst thing to me about this ban? No noise-cancelling headphones. Now, that will hurt.

You could always plan to buy a good quality point-and-shoot camera when you get to Europe. They're not that expensive. Then you can just take the memory card home.

--Dav