Laptop-toting air travelers may soon not need to remove their PCs from their cases for inspection at security checkpoints.
Pathfinder Luggage and Targus, two of the largest luggage manufacturers, are working with the Transportation Security Administration to manufacture “checkpoint friendly” laptop cases which should be available by late September or early October.
The story was first reported by USA Today’s Thomas Frank and later picked up by Joe Sharkey, a blogger and contributor to The New York Times.
The problem with current cases is that often the view of the laptop, as it goes through the scanner, is obscured by power cords, batteries, and mice. The new cases include either a fold-down section in a bigger briefcase or a stand-alone protective sleeve that contains no extra clutter and can be readily viewed through the scanner.
Ron Davis, an executive vice president at Pathfinder says two of the new cases are made of nylon and foam and he’s certain that the X-ray machines should have no problems seeing through the materials.
His company is producing two types of cases. One is a briefcase in which the attached laptop holder is exposed when the case is unzipped. The other is a wheeled carry-on with a removable laptop case. Prices for the briefcase style will range from $100 to $150 and the wheeled version will sell between $150 and $200.
One of the first bags that Targus will roll out is a backpack design. It will sell for $39 for the basic model or $100 for the heavy-duty version.
TSA director Kip Hawley says that the new bags “should be designed with ‘self-evident features,’ including an absence of buckles, pockets or zippers.”
The makers could label it as “checkpoint-friendly” or use similar terms, but they could not state nor imply that the bags were certified or approved by the T.S.A. or use a T.S.A. logo on them.
Hopefully, as more and more business travelers use these new bags, the delays at the TSA checkpoint will be a lot shorter.
Now, if they could only do something about our shoes …
