Airlines and airports are beginning to crack down on explosive Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones. This morning, New York Times reporter Mike Isaac tweeted that his airline verbally warned passengers to power off and stow the recalled device.
In a direct message, Isaac clarified that he was flying American Airlines. Several others have said they’ve had the same experience on both American Airlines and Lufthansa.
For the past two weeks, consumers have been reporting that their Note 7s are exploding. Earlier today, the Post reported that one exploded in a six-year-old boy’s hands.
Samsung has stopped selling the phone and initiated a “product exchange program,” that would allow customers to return their potential phone bombs. After being criticized for not issuing an official recall, Samsung now says that it is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The latest statement from the company puts things more clearly: “We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note7s and exchange them now.”
On Friday, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an official statement urging people not to use the Note 7.
The FAA has issued a warning to passengers in which it strongly advised them to not turn on or charge the phone during a flight. The United Arab Emirate’s General Civil Aviation Authority has banned the use of the device on the plane, as have Scandinavian Airlines, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and more. Pakistan International Airline “strongly advised” passengers not to take the phone onboard, “not even in their check-in luggage, as it may compromise aircraft and passenger safety.”
Experts say that it would be difficult to enforce such a ban. Airline consultant, Mike Boyd told CNN, “The reality is, if we know it catches fire, we shouldn’t have it on airplanes. Period.”