The Ultimate Guide to American Airlines Laptop Power

• All AA airplanes (excluding American Eagle regional jets, which have no power at any seats) have power outlets at all first class seats. All of those planes have some outlet availability in coach, though not necessarily at every seat.
• In coach, exit rows and bulkheads pretty much always have outlets.
• On the 757, the first six rows of coach (9-14) have outlets, as do the exit rows. In the back of the plane, the outlets show up every 3-4 rows.
• On MD80s, avoid the last seven rows of the plane, which are devoid of power. Almost all the other seats (15 of the remaining 19 rows) have power.
• 737-800s are tricky because AA began receiving new versions of that airplane starting in March of this year. The older 738s have DC power outlets placed similarly to the MD80s and 757s (all of business/first, the first several rows of coach, then every four rows or so towards the back). The newer 738s have AC power (just like the wall outlet in your house, no DC adapter needed!) at every row. To figure out which plane you'll be on, check the exit rows. If the exits are at rows 13 and 14, you're on an old 738. If they're at 14 and 15, you're on a new one.

What type of power adapter do I need?

Consumer electronics like laptops come with power plugs designed for AC power. That's the two-pronged plug that you're used to using to plug in your computer at home or at the office. With the exception of the new 738s, all AA planes have DC outlets. That's the circular plug you're used to finding in your car. So how do you plug a two-pronged plug into a circular outlet? You'll need an adapter.

As for adapters, you basically have two options. First, you can use a dedicated cable that connects your laptop to the DC power port. The most popular of these is the iGo, a charging system that features a DC power plug on one end, and a changeable tip on the other that plugs directly into your laptop (or other device, like a phone, PDA, or iPod). Basically, you just get the tip that matches your machine, and use the iGo to plug directly into the DC outlet.

If you have a post 2005 Apple laptop, the iGo isn't an option. That's because Apple's MagSafe magnetic power port is proprietary, so iGo can't make tips for it. In this case, you can buy an airplane adapter made by Apple. It goes directly from the MagSafe power port on your Mac to the DC outlet on the plane, no other cables or dongles necessary. This sounds convenient, but I don't recommend it... Lots of users have had pretty bad results when using these cords. (They don't allow enough juice through, they get stuck in the power outlets, etc.)

The other kind of adapter is a power inverter. This is basically a little box that converts the DC power on the plane to AC power for your laptop. You plug the inverter into the plane's power port. It has a standard AC outlet on it, so you just plug your laptop (using your normal power cord) into the inverter, and you're good to go. If you're looking for an inverter, I recommend looking for three features: enough wattage (see below), a fuse, and a fan. The fuse will trip if there's any sort of power surge or other irregularity. This will prevent damage to you and your laptop. The fan will prevent the inverter from overheating.

I used to carry an iGo, but it was a pain. It meant carrying a whole extra set of power cables just for the plane. Also, I now carry a Macbook Pro, which uses that proprietary Apple magnetic power tip, so the iGo just stopped working for me when I got my new computer. So I carry a handy little inverter from Radioshack. It was cheap, always works, and is really very small. Also, I don't have to carry anything else extra. I just plug my normal laptop power cable into the inverter, and plug the inverter into the jack. Never had any problems. (I also recommend the Belkin AC Anywhere, which is basically the same thing but gets you two AC ports).

Will the adapter allow me to charge my laptop? What if I have a really power-hungry computer?

Without getting too much into the intricacies of how wattage works...

The power ports on American Airlines are 15V DC outlets that provide up to 75 watts per outlet. That means that the power outlet has about 75 watts of "juice" to give.

Most smaller laptops need less than 75 watts of juice. Many laptops (15" screens and up, typically) need a bit more power. My MacBook Pro takes 80 watts. So what happens?

I plug my computer into the outlet using my inverter. At times of maximum power usage (WiFi is on, I have a DVD in the drive and that drive is spinning, the computer is doing something hard-drive intensive), the laptop tries to suck the full 80 watts through the outlet. But that outlet has only 75 watts to give.

On most laptops, the computer takes the power it can get, and behaves accordingly. On my machine, this means that the computer usually gets enough power to stay on (without sucking the battery), but not enough to also charge the battery. Sometimes, if I'm not doing anything that's so power intensive, the battery will charge very slowly. Sometimes, the computer isn't getting enough electricity, so it draws power from the battery. (In these cases, having the laptop plugged into the plane causes the battery to drain much slower.) Your mileage will vary depending on your laptop and adapter, but I've never lost all power on an airplane.

My best recommendation is to have your laptop completely charged before you step on the plane. That will guarantee that the machine will keep operating, even if the flow of juice isn't enough on its own. Newer laptops are smart enough to suck power from the outlet and cover any additional power needs by sparingly using the battery.

Also, make sure you're using an adapter that can handle enough wattage. If you're using an inverter, get one that handles at least 75 watts. I use an inverter that can handle up to 150 watts, just in case. (That way I can also us it in the car, for example.)

The power outlet isn't working. Now what?

You plug in your computer using an adapter or an inverter, and you find that there's no juice. What's the deal?

Nine times out of ten, the problem is that the power outlets aren't turned on. On most American Airlines planes, all the outlets on the plane can be disabled by a switch on the control panel by the front galley. Look at your outlet. Is the little green light on? If it isn't, then politely ask a flight attendant to check if the power system is on.

On most of my flights, the system stays on from boarding until deplaning. Some extra-studious flight attendants turn the power off during takeoff and landing, and only leave it on above 10,000 feet, when electronic devices may be used. Sometimes, someone turns it off but forgets to turn it back on.

If the little green light is on but you still can't charge, there's most likely a problem with your adapter or inverter. If you're using an adapter, are any of the cables frayed? Are all the connections secure and tight-fitting? If the answer is yes too all those questions, there are two possibilities. Your computer could be trying to suck way too much power, or your adapter may be malfunctioning.

If your computer wants too much power, try to do something less power-intensive. Eject any DVDs or CDs. Turn off Bluetooth (it should be off on the plane anyway!) and WiFi radios. Dim your screen. If none of this works, it might be that your adapter is broken. Check your warranty and return policy.

Also, be careful with those plugs. They're only designed to accommodate one device per plug. Avoid using splitters or power strips.

Power port etiquette.

In first and business class, there's a power port for every seat. Everyone has their own power port, and no one has to fight over them.

In coach, there's often a single charging box (that has two DC outlets) for a bank of three seats. So if all three people in the row want to use the power, something's got to give.

This has never happened to me... There are usually very few people on a plane who even have DC adapters or inverters, and I've only sat next to another power port user once.

But in the rare situation that I find myself to be one of three passengers fighting over one port, here's what I'd do:

I'd communicate with my seatmates. In most cases, I can go for an hour or more on battery power, then plug into the outlet for an hour or so. If the three people are respectful of each other and take turns with the outlets, everyone should be able to have enough juice to last for all of even the longest domestic flight. As with all etiquette issues in the air, just remember that an airplane is a giant metal tube into which hundreds of people are crammed. Treating fellow passengers with a little bit of courtesy can go a long way.