The Galaxy Note 7 is a hot smartphone. Both literally and figuratively. The Galaxy Note 7 has suffered two full recalls from both Samsung and the US CPSC in less than two months. In the US, the Department of Transportation has banned the Galaxy Note 7 from all flights in the US. Canada has also banned it from all flights within their country and it’s likely that this trend will continue with other countries. Lufthansa is taking a proactive approach here, and have already banned the Galaxy Note 7 from all of its flight, effective immediately.
The German airline has announced that the Galaxy Note 7 is not allowed to be in a carry-on or checked bag, nor can it be on the person traveling. And with good reason. The Galaxy Note 7 has a tendency to catch on fire, and has started smoking on a flight in the US earlier this month, which led to the second recall of the device. Samsung is still unsure of what is causing their “Next Big Thing” to catch on fire, even after two global recalls. And it’s said that they are internally looking to drop the “Note” brand, and are trying to take the “Galaxy” out of the “Galaxy Note 7” name.
Previously, Lufthansa had banned the Galaxy Note 7 on all flights to and from the US, in accordance with the US DOT’s banning of the smartphone. Now the Galaxy Note 7 is banned on any flight within their network. And it’s likely that more airlines will follow, as well as Germany’s government. If you’re planning to fly on Lufthansa anytime soon and have a Galaxy Note 7, you’ll want to trade that in before you go. Otherwise you won’t be able to take it on board, and here in the US, it’s a crime to carry the Galaxy Note 7 on-board an aircraft, as it has been recalled already. Samsung is opening up pop-up shops at airports to allow customers to swap out their Galaxy Note 7 for a new Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge. You can also opt for a refund through your carrier, or retailer that you bought the device from, and buy another smartphone altogether.