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Last few months had a few problems with my laptop at several airports. Missing flights, and even had a laptop confiscated (I was able however to pick it up a few days later). Seems lately airport security authorities are keen on laptops nowadays. Encypting data on a laptop makes it even worse. I am very weary now traveling with a laptop. In many cases I also seem to fit a certain profile. Travelling alone (and a lot), male with no check-in luggage and Middle-East stamps in my passport.
This is just a warning and also a question whether anybody else experienced this problem.

Depends on why it is being confiscated.
Anywhere in the middle east could be due to banned material.
In the US, they would be information gathering.
I have not experienced it, but might be checking in the laptop from now on.

benwj wrote:Depends on why it is being confiscated.

Nobody is telling.

benwj wrote:Anywhere in the middle east could be due to banned material.

I doubt that very much, as there has been no interest so far whatsover in USB sticks or external harddrives.

benwj wrote:In the US, they would be information gathering.

Which doesn't make sense to me, as again they have no interest in other data carriers.

The only reason I can think of is because of explosives or chemicals. To me, it is unexplainable why international airports cannot establish within one or two hours whether a laptop is "safe" or not. Confiscating a laptop is extremely intrusive, especially when needed for work. It can become a limbo when your work requires constant personal supervision of the laptop. Plus who knows what they are doing with it before you get it back.

So you are only talking about before you board the plane.
How do you get it back 2 days later then. By courier?

My Son travels regularly between Riyadh, Dubai and the UK with his laptop and has never had it looked at twice, he has sometimes been asked to switch it on at the security X-Ray, post baggage drop, and as soon as he does they tell him to turn it off again. It must be your body language FD, you must just look guilty! Some people do unfortunately.

Last time the most memorable question was " why do you have this smile on your face?"

Should work on my poker face.

Either that or next time just leave your p<3n at home!

Dillon wrote:Either that or next time just leave your p<3n at home!

Only homemade and its encrypted on one of those USB cards that look like a creditcard. If the wrong passcode is given, data will be zeroized according to FIPS 140 standards.

Flying Dutchman wrote:

Dillon wrote:Either that or next time just leave your p<3n at home!

Only homemade and its encrypted on one of those USB cards that look like a creditcard. If the wrong passcode is given, data will be zeroized according to FIPS 140 standards.

I love you FD! You do make me laugh!

Laptops not being searched in travelling to and from asian (south and south east asian sectors), GCC (qatar, oman, kuwait) , these I can confirm for sure, I usually travel without any checkin luggage also

Whenever I put my laptop through the scanner, I'm always scared its gonna mess it up

I don't know of anyone who has had a laptop examined beyond the wand swipe to check for explosives, or to turn it on. Having the laptop completely confiscated for days sounds bizarre! Business travellers need their laptops, so I'm not sure why authorities would start confiscating them!

kanelli wrote:I don't know of anyone who has had a laptop examined beyond the wand swipe to check for explosives, or to turn it on. Having the laptop completely confiscated for days sounds bizarre! Business travellers need their laptops, so I'm not sure why authorities would start confiscating them!

Kanelli, not knowing someone who it hasn't happened to doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

kanelli wrote: Business travellers need their laptops, so I'm not sure why authorities would start confiscating them!

A few months ago, me, the laptop and the charger were only allowed to be transported in different planes. So, it was first me, the next plane the laptop and two days later the charger. This sounds like a (extreme) security measure. However, I recently learned that on around that time, they were also investigating a child p0rn network consisting of business travellers to Amsterdam. Recently I didn't have problems anymore with my laptop.