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new Mac Pro (nMP) and carry on bag on international flight

agazoo

agazoo

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 15, 2015
110
18
Hello!

I am flying back to US from Europe soon.

Trying to find out if it is a good idea to place Cylinder Mac Pro into the carry on bag. It fits perfectly and I will make the weight limits as well (Airports in Europe do care about weights even if you board US airline).

I am particularly concerned about security. I know sometimes TSA people (and their Europe colleagues, especially Russians) ask to power up electronic devices, and if you can't you will be denied boarding). In the absence of the battery that isn't doable with nMP.

Im flying AGP to MSP (though JFK) with Delta,

I don't want to use checked baggage, as i'll only have 1.45h connection in JFK.

Thank you

Edit: i googled the post with several bag options, but not actual experience people might had.
 
new Mac Pro (nMP) and carry on bag on international flight

I once flew to Israel with El Al with a bag full of photo gear and a laptop. I indeed had to boot the laptop and start some apps. They even made me take a few pictures with my camaras. Also they took out the battery to check it for drug substances.

In my case a very tight security check and because of all the electronics I was stripped down to my underwear, to check all my cloths for devices! ;-(

Be sure to check when you're NOT able to fire up the nMP, if security will let it pass!

Have a safe trip!

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Hey agazoo,

Ill be doing the same trip, from Europe to USA in july and Im curious about other's experience as well.
I usually fly with my rMBP, 2 or 3 DSLR's and a few lenses, from Paris to the States with no problem, but I never flew with the nMP.

Last time I flew with my nMP was from NYC to Paris and there was no problem as a carry hand luggage.
 
Why not just check it?

Make sure that you have a backup in your carry-on, and just check it.

It's just a tool, and one that can be easily replaced if it's lost.

I dive with people who have tens of thousands of dollars of camera gear in checked baggage - and always have SD cards or thumb drives with the photos in their pockets when they fly. (Usually a copy in the pocket, a copy in the carry-one, and a copy in the 2nd checked bag.)

The data can't be replaced, but there's no intrinsic value in the hardware.
 
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m4v3r1ck said:
I once flew to Israel with El Al with a bag full of photo gear and a laptop. I indeed had to boot the laptop and start some apps. They even made me take a few pictures with my camaras. Also they took out the battery to check it for drug substances.

In my case a very tight security check and because of all the electronics I was stripped down to my underwear, to check all my cloths for devices! ;-(

Be sure to check when you're NOT able to fire up the nMP, if security will let it pass!

Have a safe trip!

Cheers
Click to expand...

All that stuff happened in US airport or Israel?

I always travel loaded with electronics, cameras, multiple laptops, lenses, hard drives, iPads, several cell phones; Never got question much.
 
As stupid as it sounds, I have found being clean shaven is one of the best ways to avoid trouble with security.

Unshaven (and flying solo esp) brings me a lot of unwanted dramas. What I carry is almost immaterial to my 'profile'.
 
Santabean2000 said:
As stupid as it sounds, I have found being clean shaven is one of the best ways to avoid trouble with security.

Unshaven (and flying solo esp) brings me a lot of unwanted dramas. What I carry is almost immaterial to my 'profile'.
Click to expand...

I don't fly enough to say this is absolutely correct, but my limited experience suggests so:

I was extremely hung over from boozing it up in Rome and was flying to Israel, dark sunglasses, hunched over, unshaven and probably a bit green-faced.

Wow, did they give me a lot of security attention. To make things worse, in my drunken state I didn't secure my suitcase well enough and it must have burst open during loading and/or inspections and when I claimed it, it was duck-taped shut and couldn't be carried.

So here I am, a mangy, green-faced hobo staggering through Ben Gurion Airport pushing a shopping cart with a duck-taped suitcase. There were a lot of security agents interested in me that day.

They didn't officially ask me to never come back, but I'm sure they've still got a photo of me somewhere, just in case.

True story.
 
Last edited:
agazoo said:
All that stuff happened in US airport or Israel?
Click to expand...
I'm betting it was in Israel. Bizarrely airport security give you a really hard time when leaving Israel. When travelling to Israel it's pretty much the same as travelling to any other international destination although if you travel to Israel with El Al you will get enhanced security when you check in but that stops far short of a strip search.
 
new Mac Pro (nMP) and carry on bag on international flight

agazoo said:
All that stuff happened in US airport or Israel?



I always travel loaded with electronics, cameras, multiple laptops, lenses, hard drives, iPads, several cell phones; Never got question much.
Click to expand...


Ofcourse it happend at Ben Gorion Airport in Israel. They have very strict security messures there!

It was an odd experience, but for me too inflight safety comes first.

Glad I wore my clean underwear!!! ;-)

Cheers

BTW I dont't have a beard and I'm always clean shaved, ask the ladies....
 
Curious as well tbh. I agree with the limited real value a nMP has as a tool. It's still something I'd rather have as a carry-on. It being a tool, doesn't mean you don't have to take care of it. The way bags are thrown, opened up, stolen from ...

Being abroad for a few months I'd like to take my workhorse with me, but don't want to leave it behind at airport security.
 
This is interesting as I may be going back and forth between Canada and England quite frequently for the next two years and I was debating about purchasing a Mac Pro for travel.

I've never experienced security asking me to power up any electronics before...
 
Yeah, we have mega-security here in Israel. In all El-Al airplanes flights there's an Air Marshall and equipped with defenses against missiles. Security is high priority here. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Even while traveling in Europe with an EU passport, they give you hard time if you have tons of cables and electronics.
 
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Yeah, we have mega-security here in Israel. In all El-Al airplanes flights there's an Air Marshall and equipped with defenses against missiles. Security is high priority here. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Even while traveling in Europe with an EU passport, they give you hard time if you have tons of cables and electronics.
 
dor said:
Yeah, we have mega-security here in Israel. In all El-Al airplanes flights there's an Air Marshall and equipped with defenses against missiles. Security is high priority here. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Even while traveling in Europe with an EU passport, they give you hard time if you have tons of cables and electronics.
Click to expand...

It was a bit of a hassle for the experience, but what the heck: "Safety First!"

That's why I LOVE flying to Israel with El-Al!!!

Cheers
 
You could avoid any hassle by just shipping it Overnight before you go.

Or you could buy a new one on the destination, selling it before you go.
 
I have gotten some looks and I recommend to take packing/etc material with you because they will want it out of your bag like a laptop. I took it Chile->Europe, Europe->US, and US->Chile.

JM
 
I'm traveling from Phoenix to London next week (direct) and was wondering whether I should keep my mac pro (cylinder) in my hand baggage or check it? I'd feel happier keeping it with me, but I'd hate for TSA to say no to it going through...any advice?
 
Hand Baggage, TSA does not care (get it out of the bag though and run like a laptop), Spanish TSA does not care X2 (don't bother getting it out of the bag), No experience with nMP and Brits but I suggest to get it out of the bag as well.
 
I took my nMacPro to Berlin for a job. Checked it in this case:

http://www.casecruzer.com/apple-mac-pro/mac-pro-case.html

Also checked two 17" MacBookPros and accessories in a Pelican brand case. Model 1440 if anyone is interested

Delta got both to Berlin just fine and they had inspection flyers in both cases. HOWEVER, after the event I took Air Berlin to Munich and my nMacPro case didn't show up. Sucked because I was at a huge spa for 3 days to enjoy finishing that job but I couldn't relax at all not knowing where my expensive computer was. At 11pm the night before I flew home I finally got a knock on my door from a guy with it. He said something about them not thinking it was mine the whole time (WTF? Because I'm a woman? My friggen name is on it in several places!). Inside were papers saying that when they inspected it at the Berlin airport they decided the main inspector had to look at it, too, and that's why it didn't make my plane. So STUPID!

Advice- Take a picture of any expensive bags you check, especially non-traditional luggage so if they go lost you can show the picture to the lost luggage clerk. Make sure you show size perspective and what's inside. None of the pictures they make you choose from looked like my computer case so they put down that it was a "tool box". The woman next to the guy I was working with said "oh, like a makeup case?" Again, because I'm a friggen' woman, and I tried to explain that, NO, it was a big computer case. I'm sure this is why it took so long to get to me and ruined my spa vacation. My flight back home on Delta with all my bags once again was uneventful so at least Delta has their **** together!
 
laurim said:
I took my nMacPro to Berlin for a job. Checked it in this case:

http://www.casecruzer.com/apple-mac-pro/mac-pro-case.html

Also checked two 17" MacBookPros and accessories in a Pelican brand case. Model 1440 if anyone is interested

Delta got both to Berlin just fine and they had inspection flyers in both cases. HOWEVER, after the event I took Air Berlin to Munich and my nMacPro case didn't show up. Sucked because I was at a huge spa for 3 days to enjoy finishing that job but I couldn't relax at all not knowing where my expensive computer was. At 11pm the night before I flew home I finally got a knock on my door from a guy with it. He said something about them not thinking it was mine the whole time (WTF? Because I'm a woman? My friggen name is on it in several places!). Inside were papers saying that when they inspected it at the Berlin airport they decided the main inspector had to look at it, too, and that's why it didn't make my plane. So STUPID!

Advice- Take a picture of any expensive bags you check, especially non-traditional luggage so if they go lost you can show the picture to the lost luggage clerk. Make sure you show size perspective and what's inside. None of the pictures they make you choose from looked like my computer case so they put down that it was a "tool box". The woman next to the guy I was working with said "oh, like a makeup case?" Again, because I'm a friggen' woman, and I tried to explain that, NO, it was a big computer case. I'm sure this is why it took so long to get to me and ruined my spa vacation. My flight back home on Delta with all my bags once again was uneventful so at least Delta has their **** together!
Click to expand...


German Government loves to install backdoor software. maybe they had to find an OS X alternative first :D
 
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