Signs near security in Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport informing passengers about new restrictions on travelling to the US. Photo: PA

The UK’s two major trans-Atlantic carriers, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, will foot the bill for sending on any uncharged electronic device to passengers prevented from flying with them under new regulations.

Initially Virgin said passengers deciding to fly without their uncharged devices would have to pay to send them to a chosen address.

But later it said it had reviewed its policy and the airline had decided to return devices to customers for free.

The two carriers are advising passengers to arrive at airports with devices fully charged, as laid down by the new rules.

BA said that passengers should arrive in good time at check-in and also at the boarding gate, as there could be further checks.

It said: “We have in place a range of options if customers are not able to comply, when requested, with the new regulations.

“Customers can ask to be rebooked on to later services. If you wish to carry on the item as part of your hand luggage, you will need to ensure that the device can be charged before your rebooked flight.

“Alternatively, customers can leave the device behind and hand it to a member of our customer service team. You will be asked to complete a form and the item can be collected on your return to the UK or forwarded to an address of your choice.”

Virgin Atlantic said: “We are encouraging all customers to charge their electronic devices before leaving for the airport. We are also advising all customers to check our website www.virgin-atlantic.com for the latest news and updates.

“We are not able to comment on, or disclose, specific security details. Virgin Atlantic fully complies with all government aviation security requirements, and we have a robust process that is under constant review and can be adapted at short notice should there be a need to do so.”

EasyJet said it was seeking clarification from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) on the new regulations before issuing instructions to passengers.

Ryanair said it did not expect the new regulations “will have any effect on short-haul flights within Europe”.

A spokesman for major US carrier American Airlines said the airline was in full compliance with the new regulations.

He went on: “Customers departing from certain European airports with electronic devices that won’t power on will be given the option to mail the device to their home or other location, discard the device, or be rebooked on a later flight at no charge.”

He added that the carrier would pay for any mailing involved.

Tips to stay fully charged

Passengers using UK airports have been told that all electronic devices they travel with must be charged in order to meet new guidance issued by the British Department for Transport.

For many of us, keeping our smartphone or tablet charged is challenging enough without the pressure of airport security bearing down.

However, there are a few steps you can take to stretch out the life of your device and ensure your trip is not delayed.

• Turn off your mobile data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you do not need them, as the energy needed to power these services will reduce battery life significantly.

• If you have another device to access e-mail, spare your smartphone. The switches for all of these will be found in your settings app.

• One of the biggest drains on your battery life is screen brightness, with many users leaving it much higher than it needs to be. You should also disable any auto brightness function as this will also affect the battery.

• Leaving your apps running in the background can not only cost you data, but battery life too, especially if you’ve been playing a graphics-heavy game. Do some housekeeping and close your apps as you finish using them.

• Smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung regularly release software updates that reorganise how power is managed, so make sure you always complete updates. This is especially important if you’re not using the latest model phone, as new software can have an increased impact on older devices.

• Similarly to data, you can set how often your phone attempts to fetch new e-mails – this requires data and battery power. Reduce the regularity of this and you can save in the long run.

• The iPhone 5s has plenty of motion and animations as you move through the interface. Under the general section of the settings app you can turn this off and keep your phone charged for longer.

• Maybe save that 20-minute video of cats playing table tennis until you get home, or watch it on your laptop, as streaming video to mobile can be strenuous for your battery.

• If all else fails, invest in a charging case or power pack to keep with you in case of emergencies or airport visits.