How to Charge Your Phone or Laptop on a Plane

The last thing you want is to take your work with you on a plane only to find out that you can't charge your laptop or phone, and you certainly don't want to download a bunch of Netflix movies to your iPad but not have a place to charge it. Fortunately, there are a few ways to charge your phone and other devices on a plane.

Airports are getting better about providing charging stations in terminals, where you can charge up before or between flights, but once you get on the plane, your options are limited.

Some airlines offer a power outlet or USB port in their seats, so you can keep on working or playing as you head to your destination and be fully charged by the time you land. However, not all planes have this option, and you may need to take advantage of an alternative charging technique.

A portable charger is just what it sounds like. It's a charger that you take with you. Juice it up in the airport before the flight or at home before you leave. Most portable chargers provide enough power to run your device(s) a few times over.

For your tablet, phone, e-book reader, or any other device that charges over USB, a USB battery is all you need. Some have multiple USB ports to charge more than one device at the same time.

To charge a laptop on the plane, bring along a portable laptop battery charger. Not only do laptops require way more power than a battery charger meant for phones, but you need a way to plug the laptop into the charger. A portable laptop charger has the two-pronged or three-pronged connection you need to mimic a wall outlet.

Some planes offer in-seat power that works with your standard AC power adapter, such as how your laptop plugs into the wall at home. For these types of aircraft, bring along the standard power brick you use with a wall. You can get one on Amazon if yours is missing or broken.

In some cases, DC power adapters are used in planes, like the circular cigarette lighter power adapters found in almost every vehicle. If that's what's available to you, you'll need a DC to AC power converter.

If you frequently travel with both a laptop and USB devices, you might prefer a DC to AC converter like this one from Foval that includes not only a three-pronged port for your laptop but also two USB ports for your smaller devices.

If you'd rather not bring a bunch of batteries with you or pay for something you'll only use on one flight, there are some things you can do to make sure your devices remain powered for longer.

One obvious way to avoid charging your phone on a plane is making sure it's fully charged before you leave. Charge up in the airport before you take off or keep your phone turned off until you get on the plane to avoid using it until you need to. The same goes for any of your other tech devices that need power on the plane.

Something else you can do is reduce your phone's requirement for power. Aside from keeping it turned off, the next best thing you can do to save phone battery is turn off location services, dim the brightness, and turn off automatic updates. See these tips to extend iPhone battery life (or your iPad or Android battery) for dozens of other tips.