It is now a federal offense to bring a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone onto an airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) have stated passengers cannot enter a plane with the Galaxy Note 7 “on their person, in carry-on baggage, in checked in baggage, or as cargo.” Doing so can be punished with a fine of up to $179,933 or prosecution and imprisonment for up to 10 years.
The order follows a reports that a Galaxy Note 7 handset, despite being sanctioned as a new and safe, went up in smoke as its owner boarded a plane.
Samsung has completely halted production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 as of last Monday, indicating the smartphone won’t return to the market. However, there is another issue looming; how will Galaxy Note 7 owners currently handling traveling overseas get home with their smartphones? The short answer is they can’t. In addition to the new protocols in the U.S., several international airlines have also banned passengers from bringing the Galaxy Note 7 on board airplanes. During a recent flight from Istanbul to New York, an airline employee briefly mistook an Honor 8 smartphone for a Galaxy Note 7.
According to the Department of Transportation , passengers found in possession of a Galaxy Note 7 handset will be denied boarding access to their flight until the device is confiscated. Passengers must not pack Galaxy Note 7 handsets in their checked luggage or carry-on bags.
If a passenger is found in possession of a Galaxy Note 7 handset while a flight is en-route, the passenger will be instructed to power down the handset and keep it on their person. The passenger must also turn off any mechanisms that could unintentionally activate it, such as an alarm clock.
Samsung has an official recall page with contact information for Galaxy Note 7 carriers and vendors, where owners can get more information pertaining to their options for what to do with the device while overseas.
Carriers have given Galaxy Note 7 owners the option of surrendering their handsets at their departure airport, or having the device shipped back to the U.S. prior to flying back. However, several travelers have shared stories of attempting to travel with the Galaxy Note 7 amid initial reports of the new ban.
According to Gizmodo , some travelers have been mistakenly singled out for carrying a Samsung smartphone that wasn’t a Galaxy Note 7, while others have argued with airport personnel about trying to fly with the device. One traveler told the publication a wireless carrier representative advised them to smuggle their Galaxy Note 7 handset onto their flight in a sock, despite knowing the legal penalty.
