How to Check If Your Laptop Is Part of the FAA’s Ban on Select MacBook Pros
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned select MacBook Pro laptops from being carried on, or checked into the cargo holds of, aircraft. The FAA’s decision follows Apple’s announcement that some of the older MacBook Pro units posed a fire risk.
According to the FAA’s statement, the agency has alerted major US airlines to the recall, explaining that the affected laptops should not be allowed to fly as cargo or in passengers’ carry-on baggage.
The devices in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017.
Apple originally announced the recall in June, saying it had “determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”
Affected units can be determined by the product’s serial number, and checked online. To check if your 15-inch MacBook Pro is part of the recall and has been banned by the FAA, follow these steps:
1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select ‘About This Mac’.
2. Confirm your model is “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)”.
3. If so, go to Apple’s dedicated recall page and enter your device’s serial number to see if it’s eligible. If it is, you’ll be offered several options, such as getting the battery replaced.
According to a notice distributed in Canada in June, about 432,000 MacBook Pros sold in the US were part of the recall, and about 26,000 of the affected units were sold in Canada. The number of the devices part of the recall that were sold in Europe has not been disclosed.
This week, four non-US-based airlines introduced bans of their own for the devices — TUI Group, Thomas Cook, Air Italy and Air Transat, according to Bloomberg News.
TUI ground staff and cabin crew will begin making annoucements about the ban at the gate and before takeoff. Laptops that have already had their batteries replaced will be allowed on board the TUI flights, the airline said.
Featured photo by ullstein bild/Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 60,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,200
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases.
- 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Earn 2x total points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Includes eligible pick-up and delivery services.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.