The vital reason you need to lock your suitcase if you’re flying from Saturday to avoid forking out THOUSANDS
AS of Saturday, taking your iPad or laptop on a plane from certain airports will be banned.
Thanks to new travel rules, large gadgets need to go in the hold if you are travelling from six countries – and it is vital you lock your bag to be covered by insurance.
The UK announced a cabin luggage ban on passenger flights from Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – effective from March 25 – in a similar move in the US.
However, electronics in the hold may not be protected by insurance if they were to be lost, stolen or damaged.
Thankfully some insurers have said they will relax their rules, but this is not true of all companies, so what should you do before you fly?
Make sure you contact your travel insurer before you fly to the UK from these countries to see exactly what is covered.
Mark Shepherd from the Association of British Insurers said: “Wherever possible, travellers should keep valuables, including tablets and laptops, with them on flights and, if travelling from destinations affected by the new regulations, it may be sensible to leave valuables at home.
"If devices are damaged during a flight, there's also the potential to seek compensation through the airline."
He said that some people may have additional cover under their household contents policy for electronics taken outside the house.
It has not confirmed when the ban would come into force.
Jet 2:
Customers travelling from Turkey would face extra security checks and the new hand luggage restrictions.
Again, the airline has not confirmed when the ban would come into force.
Monarch:
It says it will increase the paid-for hold luggage allowance by 3kg free-of-charge to allow for the extra weight of electrical devices.
The airline runs a summer service from Turkey from 29 April, so no flights will be affected until then
It has not confirmed when the ban would come into force.
Thomas Cook:
Customers flying to the UK from Turkey and Egypt should pack devices into their hold luggage to be checked in before going through security.
It has not confirmed when the ban would come into force.
Thomson:
The airline said it was ";currently working through operational plans and the best way" to notify affected customers.
Other fears around the new rules are regarding travel costs, with people who intending to fly with just hand luggage being forced to use the hold.
Thankfully some travel companies such as Thomas Cook have said they will not charge passengers for checking in a bag.
And Monarch have said they will increase luggage allowance by 3kg free of charge.
Some have raised fears of safety for expensive gadgets such as cameras and laptops being placed in suitcases where they are risk from breakage.
This follows a video earlier this month which showed reckless baggage handlers kicking bags from a plane.
Earlier today Ryanair baggage handlers were also caught on camera "hurling passenger belongings onto a jet".