5 ways to beat the airline laptop & tablet ban

They banned laptops and tablets on flights to the US and UK from the Middle East; here’s how business travellers can stay productive on long flights

1 – Use your phone as your main screen

With huge phones now all the rage, why not use your phone as a tablet or laptop? The maximum dimensions of permitted gadgets is 16×9.3×1.5cm/6.3×3.7×0.6-inches, which make any phone with a screen smaller than about 7.5-inches in diameter perfectly acceptable. It’s time to go big!

2 – Take a portable keyboard

For just a few quid you can buy a portable keyboard designed to pair with a phone, though do be careful – small keyboards can be tricky to type on. The Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard or LG Rolly are great solutions for those travelling light; everyone else can justify bringing a desktop wireless keyboard like the Apple Magic Keyboard.

3 – Prop-up your phone

Want to know a travel hack? Sure, you can buy dedicated phone stands for propping-up a phone on a plane, and even a nifty one that clips to the back of an airline seat. Or you could just roll-up a jumper or scarf to support your phone at an angle.

4 – Take a portable battery

You don’t have a portable battery for your smartphone yet? Aim for at least 5,000mAh to ensure two full recharges of your smartphone while travelling, and go for a battery with something extra; built-in cables are great, as is a built-in phone prop.

5 – Use the right apps

By using productivity apps like Apple Pages, Microsoft Word and Excel, it’s perfectly possible tot work on a phone and sync to the cloud when you land. Evernote and SimpleNote also work a treat if all you want to do is type, while Pocket is great for the offline reading of web articles you may need to refer to.