Remember hoverboards, that passing fad that was hot for a second and then so hot, you weren't allowed to take one on an aircraft? On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Transportation added another electronic to the list of banned items on planes, when they announced that the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone would, effective immediately, be prohibited on board, including in checked luggage.
It's been a tumultuous couple of months for the Korean electronics giant. First, in August, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone was released to a great deal of fanfare, but very soon afterwards it started doing something rather alarming: namely, bursting into flames. Samsung was quick to ask customers to exchange the phones carrying the faulty (and apparently combustible) batteries, with new, updated versions. In the meantime, airlines, naturally concerned about the hazards of cabin fires at 30,000 feet, took action. Less than a month after the phone's release, three Australian airlines announced that customers were prohibited from turning on or charging their Note 7 in-flight. Just a week later, the FAA followed suit with its own guidelines prohibiting the use of any lithium battery-powered device that had faced a recall because of safety concerns. Then the supposedly non-faulty models started exploding, too, including one that ignited on board a Southwest flight. And, finally, it was time to pull the plug.
On October 10, Samsung announced it was discontinuing all production of the phone and offering full refunds or a different Samsung phone as a replacement to those still carrying the device. And now, with the new D.O.T. rules, even if the phone is powered down, you will be denied boarding if you have it in your possession—and that includes in your checked luggage. "We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told Reuters. Passengers who do try and sneak the phone past security could face fines.
Samsung, faced by the embarrassment of the product's failure and huge financial losses—Credit Suisse predicts that the company could lose up to $17 billion—is doing its part to minimize inconvenience to passengers. According to the Guardian, the company has started setting up kiosks in airports around the world, where Note 7 owners can swap their phone or get a full refund when they turn it in. The first booths opened at airports around Australia and South Korea over the last week, with reports starting to surface about them also beginning to appear in busy U.S. airports like San Francisco International and LAX. Samsung is clearly taking the whole thing very seriously—and the DOT advises that you should, too. "Even one fire incident in-flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk," said Secretary Foxx.