http://www.magellans…
Sorry

It depends how a particular airline has configured that particular plane. The seatmaps at SeatGuru seem to have good power outlet descriptions. X-ref that with SeatExpert and the airline’s own seat maps.

good idea thanks

The status of in-seat power is rapidly changing, so what it will be on a given airline in six months or a year from now may be different from what it is today. But here is what I have seen currently.

In seat power in the tourist cabin is not common, but some airlines have it in certain rows. If you are not in one of those rows, you are out of luck. If you are in one of those rows, you may be out of luck because the outlets they use seem to have a high failure rate.

The item you listed, alone, will not do the job. You have to buy an inverter that will plug into the cigarette lighter on a car. That converts dc power to ac power. You then plug your laptop’s charger into the inverter, to convert ac power to dc power suited for your laptop. The device you listed is to plug the inverter into the airline power. The bad news (other than having cables and equipment all over you) is that not all airlines use the same plug. The one you listed is an empower plug, which I know is used on Continental, in some seats (remember, I said things are changing) and I don’t know what, if any, other airlines use that configuration.

I carry a Dell, and they sell a travel kit that has multiple plugs in it, but I wouldn’t count on it working with another manufacturer.

My suggestion would be to buy a couple of spare batteries and change them as they expire. Most of the laptops I have seen make it pretty easy to swap the battery, but you should check yours. You may be able to find a replacement battery that has more capacity, but they are not inexpensive, but I think its a better solution than buying an inverter and multiple plugs and hoping that there is power at the seat you end up in. Pack your charger in your carryon and try to find a place where you can recharge your batteries so they are all fully charged when you board. Some airports have recharging facilities, but they are usually crowded.

I checked Seat Guru and found that my plane on the way there lufthansa doesnt even supply power on the seats. Thanks for the explanation on the inverter etc. We have an inverter for car travel, but I don’t think this product will be of any help considering info from seat guru. Thanks all! Greatly appreciated.

I think “Inverter” is the wrong term. Your laptop already has an inverter — that’s the big box on the power cord that inverts the AC coming out of the wall outlet to the DC your computer uses. The issue is voltage. Standard DC connections don’t provide the 19 to 20 volts your computer uses — that’s why you can run/charge your phone that uses 4 or 5 volts in the car but not your laptop. Just about the only way to up DC voltage more than a couple of volts is to convert to AC. You actually need to add a DC to AC converter (different than the “voltage converter” you need to use 110 AC appliances with Europe’s 220 AC) to convert to AC so some sort of “multiplier” can up the voltage to the 20 you need — then the inverter on your laptop power cord inverts back to DC.

In a nutshell — it’s complicated and it takes a fair amount of gear….

Inverter is the name they put on the label of the device that converts dc to ac power (see the ad posted by the OP). I think there may be an obscure FAA rule against using them, but I’ve not seen it enforced because the cabin crew doesn’t seem to know about it (an inverter does generate heat as a byproduct of the conversion).

I think buying a new battery or two, depending on capacity, is the best solution. There have been constant improvements in the field of batteries. I have an ancient MP3 player, and each time I wear down a battery and go shopping for a new one, the new one has greater capacity, often at lower cost.

I would also suggest trying to get a bulkhead seat if you will be using a laptop. If there is a reclining seat in front of you, it makes it hard to keep your laptop screen at a viewable angle.

Oops….. You’re right, “inverter” is DC to AC. Sorry about that!

I’d think Brutis905’s configuration for the car should work on the plane assuming the right outlet adapters and that the airlines actually allow it.

Extra batteries are a good option, but the supposedly 7 hour (more like 5 1/2) battery for my netbook weighs maybe three times what the netbook does. Adding a spare of the same weight would bring it over my “what I want to tote around” weight limit. A shorter life, lighter spare might be the answer, but shutting down and reading a book probably works best for me.

I’ve found that adjusting my pc to lower power settings really works in extending battery life. On a Newark/Geneva flight I was able to play an opera on dvd, and quite a few hours of my favorite music on mp3s and avoid entirely the in flight entertainment; it was a pleasant surprise the battery lasted so well.