No Power on Airplanes for 2021 M1 MBP Pro

Question

No Power on Airplanes for 2021 M1 MBP Pro

My 2021 M1 Macbook Pro charges perfectly everywhere I take it, except on airplanes. I see the green light on the airplane's power source. plug in my adapter connected to the computer. The green light goes out on the airline's plug and no green light brightens my mag safe adapter. It appears to me that the bigger draw of the M1 Pro's power adapter appears to cut off power from the airplane's system

Unfortunately, my USB-C cables are packed stowed luggage. So, I can't test if it does something different.

Is this common? Is there something I can do about this?

Thanks!

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 15, 2022 10:57 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Gary Beberman Author

Level 1

69 points

Oct 16, 2022 4:41 AM in response to Johnb-one

According to the article, I can expect 75W from the airplane power. But, the MBP M1 Pro power adapter is 140W. I think that's the problem. The airplane port shuts down when something tries to draw more power than it offers.

At some point, I'll have to invest in a power bank battery.

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Answer 2

Johnb-one

Level 6

9,180 points

Oct 15, 2022 12:55 PM in response to Gary Beberman

Yes.. see this link..https://www.seatmaestro.com/guide-to-laptop-power-ports-on-planes/… so you ‘d need an air/auto adapter That supplies 70 W max.. at 15 volts… commonly called a cigarette lighter adapter.. if the airplane does not have a 110-120 volt regular outlet

john b

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Answer 3

Nov 4, 2022 5:28 AM in response to BDAqua

So, I finally took a couple more plane rides. On both of these, I could get power. I suspect that the planes I was one before were older and were not set up to feed greater than 75 W. The newer ones had more robust power.

Just a guess.

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

85,302 points

Nov 4, 2022 6:05 AM in response to Gary Beberman

Contact the airline, specify the flight number and aircraft type, and class you are on, and if you can, the seat number.

It is possible the wiring at the seat was not properly done, or is improperly hooked up to give sufficient power.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Oct 16, 2022 4:50 AM in response to Gary Beberman

Does it shut off if the MBP isn't ON?

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Answer 6

Oct 16, 2022 4:59 AM in response to BDAqua

I get no power if the MBP is awake or asleep. That is, no light either on my mag safe connector or on the power source. I’ll have to wait for my next flight to see what happens if the computer is turned off.

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Answer 7

Nov 4, 2022 7:26 AM in response to a brody

Thanks. That's a good idea.

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No Power on Airplanes for 2021 M1 MBP Pro

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