Fliers are asked to dump out their beverages, take off their shoes, and go through a number of other time-eating security procedures at the airport, but at least some travellers may not have to unpack their laptops, the US Transportation Security Administration announced last week.

The TSA has deemed these three laptop bags "check-point friendly."
(Credit: TSA)

Starting 16 August, travellers will not have to remove laptops from bags that are deemed "checkpoint-friendly". This category includes "butterfly style", "sleeve style", and "trifold style" bags. These styles were chosen after the TSA asked bag manufacturers to design bags that would not obstruct the image of a laptop when put through an X-ray machine.

The new guidelines were meant to "help streamline the security process and better protect laptops," the TSA said in a press release. It noted, however, that using one of the "checkpoint-friendly" bags would not guarantee that a flier will not have to unpack his laptop.

"Given TSA's use of random screening protocols, TSA reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop," the TSA said. And, while some bags on the market may not obstruct the scan of a laptop, "most current laptop bags will not present a clear X-ray image and should not be sent through the X-ray with the laptop inside."

Even travellers with "checkpoint-friendly" bags should place them on X-ray machines "completely unfolded ... so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section," the TSA recommended.