Qatar Airways is offering a ‘laptop loan’ service on all US-bound flights, following the ban by the US on large electronic devices.
The decision follows the announcement that US-bound passengers from eight mainly Muslim countries – Qatar, UAE, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Morocco and Kuwait - will be banned from carrying devices larger than a mobile phone in hand luggage.
Devices bigger than 16cm in length, 9.3cm width and 1.5cm in depth now need to be checked in following a directive from the Department of Homeland Security, effective until October 14, 2017.
The Gulf carrier’s offer is open to business class passengers and can be collected after boarding.
The airline is also offering a service at the gate for all passengers, whereby any electronic items prohibited by the new ban will be collected and securely packaged. These will be tagged, loaded as check-in baggage and returned to the customer on arrival to the US.
Qatar Airways Group CEO, said: “By providing this laptop loan service we can ensure that our passengers on flights to the US can continue to work whilst on-board. This unique ability to offer ‘business as usual’, above and beyond the competition, is yet another example of Qatar Airways justification for being the ‘World’s Best Business Class’.”
Emirates and Etihad have both offered similar services since the US announced the ban earlier this month.
Sign up to BBT’s twice-weekly newsletter