The embattled, melting, exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has just reached its ultimate low: The Federal Aviation Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration have officially banned it from all U.S. flights, effective at noon Saturday.
Previously, the FAA had just warned against bringing the phone on flights due to "smoke and fire" issues, but now it's 100-percent not allowed. And, sneaky travelers, don't think about burying them in your checked luggage: Carrying them on your person, in a carry on, in checked suitcases, and even shipping them as air cargo for the most attached of cell users are all no-gos now.
And you can bet they'll be a lot stricter about this than that travel-size conditioner that doesn't quite let your clear plastic baggie zip up. A statement from the Department of Transportation made it clear that they're not messing around: “Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.”
"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in the DOT release. "We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."
After an estimated 1.9 million sold in the U.S., Samsung announced it had stopped making the phones altogether earlier this week because of "smoke and fire incidents," and the replacement models they issued weren't much better: They also caught fire.
Although you might get a pretty nice digital detox from going phone-free during your trip, it's a super good idea to go get that phone replaced ASAP.
Need to swap out your Samsung Galaxy Note 7? Find info on how to do it on the company's site or by calling 1-844-365-6197.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/samsung-galaxy-note-7-banned-from-all-us-flights
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