If you remember sometime ago we told you about the big recall on Macbook Pro batteries due to a little problem where the computer could potentially…explode into flames a la the Samsung Galaxy debacle.
Well, naturally the FAA issued a ban on the Macbook Pro in question unless it is repaired by Apple and its battery issue is resolved. Unfortunately for one photographer in Vietnam, this news was received too late – as in at the airport during the security checkout for your return flight back home.
British photographer Julian Elliott probably wishes he had checked out the serial number on his Macbook Pro before flying because, if he had, he would have known about the issue with the battery and what a potential headache it could be for him in terms of air travel.
After all, Light Stalking and nearly every other photography website out there didn’t cover the story just because we had nothing else going on that day.
We knew it would be important to photographers – and most of us knew then someone would have this happen to them eventually.
Not all of the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros from the year 2015 were impacted by the recall, however, with most of the impacted units being from the middle part of the year.
The ban comes out of an abundance of caution and, really, makes a lot of sense from the airline’s standpoint: A laptop on fire in the cargo hold or elsewhere would not be something any crew would want to have happen during a flight.
Interestingly, Elliott was able to take the computer on two domestic flights within Vietnam without any issue. It was only when he attempted to return that he encountered the problem.
“There could be worse places to be stuck but right now…[but] I have no idea if my travel insurance will cover this sort of thing,” Elliott said of the situation.
As is understandable, Elliott says he needed the computer for work and couldn't simply leave it behind and ship it back home.
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1 Comment
Remove the battery. Dispose of it properly. Take the laptop home. Get a proper battery.