Over a quarter of all air travelers carry laptop computers
with them when they pass through airport or other screening checkpoints. The requirement to remove the laptop computer from the bag is a common complaint. Despite the inconvenience it poses to passengers, it is a necessary requirement in order to ensure that the scanned image and more particularly an X-ray scanned image of the laptop computer is not complicated by the superimposed images of the rest of the bag's contents.

This style of laptop computer bags eliminate this requirement by allowing the user to leave their laptop computer in the bag during the entire security screening process. By leaving the computer in the bag you lower passenger stress levels, increase checkpoint throughput, and reduce the number of claims received for laptop computers that have been damaged during screening.

The invention is a computer trolley bag, messenger bag or backpack with compartments so that the compartments can lie horizontally on the screening system conveyor. One compartment is for holding the laptop computer and nothing else. The other side of the bag has provisions for stowing objects that would otherwise obstruct a clear view of the laptop. The laptop compartment can swing out in a way to present it for the best aspect for X-ray scanning. The appearance of the bag with its two compartments and the manner in which they swing away from each other to lay flatly on the scanner belt distinguishes this laptop bag from standard computer trolley bags, messenger bags or backpacks thereby making it readily recognizable by screening personnel as "checkpoint friendly." The way the computer trolley bag is used is to stow the retractable pull handle, swing the laptop compartment away from the rest of the bag, lay the bag on the X-ray scanning platform whether a conveyor or stationary and after X-ray scanning, lift the bag from the belt by the handle grip or shoulder straps restoring the bag to the pre-scanning configuration gravitationally.

The messenger bag and backpack work in a similar fashion.

All TSA security screeners have been trained to identify checkpoint friendly bags and allow them to pass with the laptop in the bag.