Your laptop is allowed in carry-on bags and checked luggage. But—and this is a big but— the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) really, really wants it in your carry-on. Why? Because lithium-ion batteries are spicy little fire starters. If your laptop decides to throw a tantrum in the cargo hold, it’s a bit harder to put out the flames. So please, keep it with you. Your laptop will thank you, and so will the pilot.
Here’s the kicker: you can technically put a laptop in checked luggage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows it. But if you do, you have to power it down completely—no sleep mode, no hibernation. And I mean completely. Because a bumpy landing could accidentally activate that battery, and then your suitcase becomes a smoke machine. Not a great look.
