Traveling with TSA approved laptop bags

Remember when I blogged about my flight to California a couple of weeks ago and I sang the praises of in in-flight food and beverage system? I wish I could've said the same for the security system we had to go through prior to boarding. While I recognize that security is tighter than ever for good reason, I found the process kind of brusque when it came to my laptop.

When I first heard about the TSA regulations requiring that fliers leave their laptops open and unsheathed in order to pass through airport security I didn't think it was over the top. But when I had to place my laptop in the bin I started to feel a little uncomfortable. I remembered how last year my Macbook got scratched after I went through a checkpoint en route to Florida. The security officer roughly returned the laptop to the plastic bin after giving it a quick once-over. My laptop bag is great and I love it, but it does have metal parts, a no-no as per the TSA. This time around my latest laptop didn't get damaged, but I couldn't help feeling a bit tense as I put it on the conveyor.

When I read Computerworld's review of 8 laptop bags, I was reminded that I need to make it a point to get one of these new TSA approved laptop bags. They're all checkpoint friendly with a laptop only section that unfolds completely so it'll lay flat during its x-ray conveyor ride and contains no metal (buckles, zippers, snaps, etc). Plus, they come with a range of other features and at a variety of prices. If you've invested in a laptop and there's any air travel in your future, there's good reason to spend a bit more to protect your machine while you conform to TSA regs.