Laptop Ban Lifted, But New Security Measures in Effect

The U.S. government lifted entirely a ban imposed in March 2017, prohibiting electronics larger than smartphones to be carried in the cabins of commercial airplanes heading to the United States from certain countries.

The ban covered mostly Middle Eastern carriers (Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways) and applied to direct flights to the United States from 10 specific airports.

As of July 19, though, the Department of Homeland Security launched stepped-up security measures that include stricter screening of electronic devices larger than cellphones for passengers flying to the United States from about 300 international airports.

It is possible passengers in many airports will be asked to remove larger electronic devices from their carry-on bags and prove the gear can be powered on, so many airlines and airports are alerting passengers to be prepared for longer wait times at security checkpoints.

Matching Offer from JetBlue

Frequent flyers who haven’t yet achieved Mosaic status on JetBlue have a chance to check out the service through the carrier’s Mosaic Status Match offer through August 14. Qualifying travelers will receive Mosaic status for rest of 2017. For those who already have Mosaic status for 2017, the airline is also offering a Mosaic Challenge for 2018 status.