I'll be flying from Montreal to Vancouver next week with West Jet for a quick school visit. I'll be bringing my laptop in my carry-on for the first time. Is there anything special I'll need to do at security? I've heard stories about them asking you to turn the computer on or stuff like that. Any experiences to share?
Posted by
Cayuga, Canada
124 posts
You just need to take it out and put it into the bin separate from your coat and shoes. I've never been asked to turn it on, although it is usually in sleep mode.
Enjoy.
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
712 posts
Twice they have turned my computer on but not off and my battery was running down when I got it back. I would just recommend looking at your computer to be sure it is turned off if you want to conserve your battery.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
180 posts
I travel for work within Canada fairly often (12 flights so far this year) and always carry a laptop. In have not been asked to turn on my laptop at security for years.
As another poster said, just take out your laptop and put it in a seperate bin for scanning. In some cases, they may swab the case or keyboard and test it. Very simple process.
Pete
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
As noted above the rule is simple, place your laptop in one those plastic bins they have at the checkpoints and do not put anything (like your coat) on top of it before putting it through the X-ray machine. As with others I travel nearly always with a laptop and it's never been a problem.