Back in April, the TSA decided they had had enough of the holdups and complications caused by their requirement that every laptop-carrying passenger remove his or her computer to go through the airport security checkpoints. So, strangely, they did some rather progressive! They sent out a list of standards to luggage manufacturers around the country telling them exactly the type of bag that could be designed so that it could pass through the belt scanner with a laptop inside it.
In other words, some time in the next few months, you may finally be free of the fear that grips you every time you send your baby naked down that foreboding tunnel.
I talked to Nicole Zuniga, who works in marketing and publicity for Pathfinder Luggage. She says that her company is currently developing luggage for laptops that fit the TSA’s new guidelines:
Speaking of which, here’s a condensed version of the TSA’s new proposed guidelines:
The laptop has to have its own special compartment
No components or cords can be in that compartment with the laptop
The laptop must lay flat within the bag
The compartment can contain no metals, heavy plastics, or zippers
The front of the bag can have no obstructions
For Pathfinder, that means creating a compartment out of neoprene and Velcro, like the one below. Targus is also developing a new checkpoint-friendly line. The new luggage should be ready in a few months!
