Notebooks on airplanes

[lozina]

Generally speaking, do airlines have AC outlets you can plug in your notebook to or do you need to bring a bunch of extra batteries?

Also, do any airlines have wireless networks?

I'm going on a trip to Europe this summer and firmly believe I will go insane if I have nothign to do for 8 hours. A notebook to watch movies, listen to music, work on programming projects would make the trip much more bearable.

 

[DaWhim]

sleep for 8 hours? grab a book and read it?

you should kill yourself if you can't live without your laptop for 8 hours.

 

[rh71]

I don't recall ever seen an AC outlet on a plane for your use.. especially not for each passenger.

I think there was an airline that was offering internet access (on-board - not a laptop of your own) for a fee.

Besides, flights like that should have movies... just bring your own headset.

 

[rudder]

No AC outlets. They have some onboard, but if you plug your laptop into them, you will have some serious trouble.

 

[lozina]

Originally posted by: DaWhim
sleep for 8 hours? grab a book and read it?

you should kill yourself if you can't live without your laptop for 8 hours.

You can fall asleep on planes? I envy you. The rare times I am able to fall asleep while sitting upright, I wake up with insane neck pain.

 

[DaWhim]

Originally posted by: lozina

Originally posted by: DaWhim
sleep for 8 hours? grab a book and read it?

you should kill yourself if you can't live without your laptop for 8 hours.

You can fall asleep on planes? I envy you. The rare times I am able to fall asleep while sitting upright, I wake up with insane neck pain.

no, I can NEVER do that. I remember having a flight flying back from cali to nyc for 6 hours, I was the ONLY one with the light on. I was reading for 6 hours.

prepare to deprive your sleep, if you want to do that. but for me, I will just read.

 

[PlatinumGold]

many airplanes have outlets. but often they require special plugs. check your airport electronics store before you ride.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've never seen A/C outlets on planes...other than the ones that operate the TV/VCR equipment.

 

[DeeKnow]

just got back from an 11 hour flight (Bangkok-Zurich) ... Airbus 340. fantastic seats. business class has power sockets on each seat - regular 220V so you can just plug in your regular adapter ... that is so cool!

i dont believe anyone has them in economy

and no wi-fi yet aboard planes... heard Singapore airlines was looking into it last month though

 

[eLiu]

I have the same problem...except I'll be in the air for nearly 18 hours: Detroit to Taipei.

 

[zimu]

some airplanes have AC in business/ first class. need a special adapter.

right now only one airline has introduced wifi.

and you don't have "nothign to do." fly practically any trans-continental airline (virgin, british air) out of the US into the UK or europe or whatever you'll have a tv with a bunch of good movies and things to watch.

don't travel much eh?
p.s- LUFTHANSA now has wifi, already present in certain flights. costs 29 bucks or something unlimited for the journey, with blazing high speeds...

 

[tontod]

I think Business and First class has outlets that you can plug your laptop into provided you have a compatible adapter. If you're in economy, you're probably out of luck. Watch the movies, some airlines have handheld video games also.

 

[neonerd]

some planes have outlets in business/first class only....but thats only some planes. As for wireless networks, I'm afraid you're out of luck, if you wanna go online, u gotta connect to their 56k lines which they charge you for per minute, :frown:

 

[Murphyrulez]

I was on an American S80 flight the other day and every seat had a DC power plug underneath it that you could use. Some sort of round plug, not quite sure how you could use DC, unless it was just a cigarette lighter plug, I didn't look at it, just felt it with my fingers.
I travel alot, and if I am the least bit tired, I can be asleep before we taxi away from the gate and sleep through takeoff. You just gotta get your head at a good angle where it doesn't keep falling forward. Window seats are good for that.

 

[bastula]

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
I was on an American S80 flight the other day and every seat had a DC power plug underneath it that you could use. Some sort of round plug, not quite sure how you could use DC, unless it was just a cigarette lighter plug, I didn't look at it, just felt it with my fingers.
I travel alot, and if I am the least bit tired, I can be asleep before we taxi away from the gate and sleep through takeoff. You just gotta get your head at a good angle where it doesn't keep falling forward. Window seats are good for that.

Yep those are standard cigarrette lighter plugs. I used to use my travel AC adaptor for my old Inspiron 8200 laptop and it worked perfectly. The only thing is that on my model, it only powered the machine and did not charge the battery since the outlet could not provide enough juice.

My adaptor is rather expensive, but it does the job and I have never had a problem: Lind Electronics.

 

[Beattie]

Originally posted by: DeeKnow
just got back from an 11 hour flight (Bangkok-Zurich) ... Airbus 340. fantastic seats. business class has power sockets on each seat - regular 220V so you can just plug in your regular adapter ... that is so cool!

i dont believe anyone has them in economy

and no wi-fi yet aboard planes... heard Singapore airlines was looking into it last month though

Wow, that was weird. I read this and was about to say "I dont know where you're from, but in the US, 220v is not regular" But then I realized the locations of the flight and that it probably is regular. Hooray for my American-centric brain.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Oooh! There was a site that had diagrams of every seat on every aircraft from every airline, where outlets were, legroom, noise, etc. Anybody know it?

 

[AnyMal]

Bring a GBA

 

[lozina]

Yeah just found out my flight will be on Lufthansa, so checking their site they have some "FlyNet" system which has wireless broadband for an extra cost. They also mentioned AC plugs for both two-pin Euro flat plugs and two or three pin US plugs on Business Class & First Class. Unfortunately I won't be in those seats.

They don't mention anything about that DC power source, if they had that I'd get the adapter you mention

 

[ThePresence]

I recently was on a 12 hour flight, I slept maybe 40 minutes. Hell on earth. I had a laptop, no outlet that I was able to see.

 

[JW]

Oooh! There was a site that had diagrams of every seat on every aircraft from every airline, where outlets were, legroom, noise, etc. Anybody know it?

Seatguru

-jw

 

[superhuman]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
Oooh! There was a site that had diagrams of every seat on every aircraft from every airline, where outlets were, legroom, noise, etc. Anybody know it?

www.seatguru.com

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: superhuman

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
Oooh! There was a site that had diagrams of every seat on every aircraft from every airline, where outlets were, legroom, noise, etc. Anybody know it?

www.seatguru.com

i'm sure terrorists love that site

-=bmacd=-

 

[Amused]

American has DC plugs at every two seats in Coach. They are special, airline DC plugs... too small for car adapters. Your best bet is to buy a multi-adapter travel power brick.

Regretfully, United does not.

I can not speak for any other airline for lack of experience in the matter (living in small towns limits your airline choices).

 

[Shivatron]

Originally posted by: Beattie

Originally posted by: DeeKnow
just got back from an 11 hour flight (Bangkok-Zurich) ... Airbus 340. fantastic seats. business class has power sockets on each seat - regular 220V so you can just plug in your regular adapter ... that is so cool!

i dont believe anyone has them in economy

and no wi-fi yet aboard planes... heard Singapore airlines was looking into it last month though

Wow, that was weird. I read this and was about to say "I dont know where you're from, but in the US, 220v is not regular" But then I realized the locations of the flight and that it probably is regular. Hooray for my American-centric brain.

The nice thing is, IIRC most laptop power adaptors are auto-switching, meaning that they can be plugged in to 120V or 240V outlets without a transformer.