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Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Does not work as advertised

Written by WM from Cambridge

Jul 1, 2008

As others stated as well this adapter does not prolong the battery life of the MacBook Pro at all. I have now tried it on 4 different AA flights from London to Boston. In every case the battery drained out at the same rate as if I had just been running on battery alone. Its actually worse because the machine thinks it is getting a charge so there is no warning when it cuts out.

50 of 88 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Damaged power connection

Written by MM from Dallas

Jul 28, 2008

So I do not know if it was the outlet that was fault or the adapter itself, but I recently used this on an American Airlines flight. The computer eventually shut down - which was strange as it should have been receiving constant power from the adapter. I took it out and replaced it and the computer continued to work - but eventually died again.

Upon returning home it would not power on at all. They got it to turn on at the Genius Bar, but though the normal wall charger was plugged in and recognized but would not charge the battery. This episode with the adapter damaged something the connected the power source to the battery and charged it.

I'm not sure of what it was that caused these problems but I am not wary of using this product.

(However, fortunately for me - Apple Care was great and fixed the computer very quickly).

41 of 71 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Does not work as claimed

Written by AC from Fort Lauderdale

Jun 23, 2008

Although the adapter does appear to provide some power to a MacBook Pro the battery runs out just the same. I regularly fly across the atlantic and using this power chord I get about 4 hours out of my new MacBook Pro rather than the 2 I would get on battery alone.

To last the entire trip I had to get an inverter and use the regular bulky power adapter...

Like many Apple products and accessories, a good idea poorly executed.

26 of 41 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

50% Useless

Written by RM from Sleaford

Jul 2, 2008

This product works well in planes, but WHY didn't they design it to work in a car too. When buying this with my new Macbook Pro, not mention was made of it's inabilty to deal with a 12v car charge! Only in the small print of it's own page is that mentioned!
Disappointed!

72 of 134 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Does not work on American Airlines

Written by JH from San Diego

Jan 24, 2009

I've tried this on nine different American Airlines flights (different planes) with fully charged batteries, and it has never worked. The light on the Magsafe adaptor lights up, but the menu bar says "not charging" and the battery drains as it would if the Magsafe were unplugged. Moreover, the OS X warning that the battery is about to shut down does not function and you will be surprised by a sudden black screen. Pop in a new battery, and sometimes it won't start and you'll have to wait until you have landed and disembarked to jump start by plugging your laptop to life into an AC adaptor.

I've reset my power management unit on the laptop, and that does not help.

As far as I can tell, this is the airline's problem not Apple's, since the Airline infrastructure only provides 73 watts and Apple needs 85; the airlines are stingy because they don't want to charge your laptop. But in any case, it doesn't work. The only practical solution is to buy extra spare batteries (I have 3 spares since I take flights of 12 hours or more)

23 of 37 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Poor engineering and very surprised

Written by TH from Arlington

Feb 6, 2008

My wife is new to the Mac. She is a flight attendant and just got a MacBook, and of course a MagSafe for her long travel. I am a very big fan of Apple but this time when she came back and realized that when she pulled the adaptor from the plane's power port that the adaptor stayed in the socket, I looked at the MagSafe for some form of locking mechanism to prevent this obvious user action. To my great disappointment I noticed that if the plane socket offers resistance, one could easily leave the cigarette lighter adaptor in the socket and be out 50$. Yes it stayed on the plane! Now I am asking apple to address this flaw. If, like my wife, you don't expect Apple to make these types of mistakes you just don't look at the tip of your adapter when you get ready to land.

101 of 193 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Piece of Junk

Written by AS from Ewa Beach

Sep 21, 2008

As with some of the other comments about flying on American Airlines (AA), I also flew on AA, and my MacBook pro indicated it was charging, but in reality was not. Then, at the end of the flight when I unplugged it, this thing literally fell apart. Broken. First time I used it too. What a waste of 50 bucks! It deserves less than one star, but that's the lowest there was to rate this thing.

25 of 42 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Battery Draining

Written by EA

Nov 26, 2008

I'm on American Airlines flight 22, with my adapter plugged into the power outlet, green light lit on the magsafe connector, watching my batter drain from 92% down to 73% and it is still dropping. This happened on my last flight, as well, until I had no power at all. Is mine defective or is this just a bad product. I am using a Macbook Pro 2.6ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, just doing email and browsing. What gives?

39 of 72 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

This is a poorly designed device!

Written by JC from Cambridge

May 22, 2009

This device comes in two pieces which do not
lock securely together. Therefore it is very
easy to accidentally leave one piece of the connector
in the airline power plug. You cannot buy the
individual pieces, so if this happens you must
replace the entire cable. This could have been
much better designed. It could be designed as
one single cable (as for pcs) or the two pieces
could lock together.

49 of 94 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Doesn't Work

Written by JB from Glencoe

Aug 26, 2008

I've used it on a number of flights (AA) and while the light is 'green' the battery drains. If I jiggle it, I believe the power drain slows for a bit, but it's unstoppable. This is a garbage product.

30 of 60 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

lousy design

Written by WW from New York

Sep 23, 2009

If you are going to make it a 2-part design, which *does* make it more useful, as it works on multiple kinds of outlets, at least make it so the pieces lock together.

Working frantically on a plane, then pulling it out from under the seat, I left the 20mm adapter there and didn't notice. Come on, guys - you can make it so the parts click and lock together.

WW

22 of 47 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

doesn't work

Written by AS from Saint Louis

Jun 28, 2008

I agree with the previous reviewers, but after I lost the plug twice I'm now more careful and don't forget them now. I just wish apple would just sell us this part without having us buy it again. I just upgraded my computer to the latest powerbook and the adapter doesn't seem to hold my battery charge and while the computer knows that it is plugged in (charge symbol is present), the battery level slowly drops. what gives here?

21 of 46 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

POOR DESIGN- FLAWED

Written by JM from Dallas

Apr 24, 2008

The 20mm adapter stays in the plug when you unplug it. It also falls off easily. So
as a result I have left two of these on airplanes. I know its my fault but Apple should sell these little adapters solo. This is a common problem. It is a design flaw if so
many people are writing these over and over. HORIBBLE to have to buy 50-75 adapters every time I fly. ARGH.

104 of 216 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Engineered to Make You Keep Buying Replacements

Written by KL from Palm Springs

Oct 1, 2009

I am now on my 3rd airline adapter. Why? Because the 2-part design I swear is engineered to make the buyer lose the 20mm adapter piece that makes this product useful on most airlines. My 20 mm adapters have either fallen off, or I mistakenly unplug my adapter after a flight, and don't realize the 20 mm piece is still in the socket. I've even double-checked, think I see the 20mm part still on my adapter, and only to find out later it's still on the plane.

From an environmental perspective, I think this is a big issue. From my pocketbook's perspective, I'm tired of buying $49 adapters. From a customer satisfaction perspective, I'm suspect Apple doesn't sell replacement 20 mm adapters (just the $49 replacement), as well as I'm suspect of all my Apple earbuds whose rubber grips that hold the buds in one's ears always fall apart within a few weeks of usage.

12 of 36 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

not enough juice

Written by PD from Ridgefield

Nov 25, 2008

The Apple MagSafe Airline Adaper with my 2.4 GHz MacbookPro won't last the entire 5 hour American Airlines flight. If you need an alternative, like I do, look for third party products.

15 of 56 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Toot. Like much of Apples stuff

Written by JS from Figtree

Nov 28, 2009

Have yet to come across a plane I can plug it into. Waste of money.

I can't say it doesn't work, as I have not had the opportunity to try it yet.

Naturally, this was not advertised with the product.

5 of 38 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Beware of this product

Written by JB

Jul 2, 2008

50 dollars for a cord that just keeps your mac alive(doesnt charge it) and works ONLY in planes is just a waste. Even a spare battery would work better ad they are like 120 or 130 dollars. This was just a waste of my time because it is kind of hard to keep track of the small pieces you need. I reccomend avoiding this product.

54 of 136 people found this useful

Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter

Need Work

Written by EP from Chicago

May 27, 2008

It is in apple's best interest to make this device so it is harder to leave a part behind. They wouldn't have designed it to come out the computer so easily if they weren't at least shooting to make it idiot-proof. This should have some kind of clip to keep the adapter in place.

66 of 166 people found this useful