Samsung Galaxy Note7 Banned from All US Airlines

A total ban on Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones from airplanes in the United States takes effect at noon Saturday, Oct. 15. The embattled device was recalled last month after some of the phones caught fire in people's hands and pockets and destroyed cars and other property because of an overheated battery.

But when replacement batteries also caught fire, including one on an airplane, the company pulled the plug on the phone and federal officials acted to keep it off all flights in the U.S., as carry-on items with passengers, in checked bags, and in cargo shipments.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”

Airlines have been ordered to prevent any passengers from boarding with their Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones. Anyone who violates the ban faces criminal prosecution in addition to fines.

Samsung has stopped production of the Galaxy Note7 and has asked all customers with either the original or the replacement device to power down and stop using the phones.

The decision comes after the company originally recalled nearly 2.5 million phones in September after several reports of the devices catching on fire. Major retailers and carriers in the United States offered customers the option to replace the devices either with a different smartphone or with a replacement Note7 once it was approved for sale.

However, now the phone is officially dead, and anyone with either an original or a replacement device is advised by both Samsung and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to stop using them.

"The lithium-ion battery in the Galaxy Note7 smartphones can overheat and catch fire, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers," the Consumer Product Safety Commission's official recall notice said. Customers who bought the phones should stop using them immediately and power them down, the recall notice says. They should also return the phones to their phone company, to the store where they bought it or to Samsung itself.

So what remedies do consumers have? Below is a full list of options being offered by major carriers in the U.S.

AT&T

Customers can visit a retail store to exchange the phone for another Samsung smartphone or another phone altogether. Anyone who already replaced the original recalled phone for a temporary device can keep that device as their permanent smartphone or exchange it for a different phone. Anyone who ordered the Note7 and has not received it will need to place a new order as all orders for the phone will be cancelled.

Verizon

Customers can bring their recalled or replacement Note7, along with any accessories, to a Verizon corporate store for a full refund and choose another available device.

T-Mobile

The carrier said customers can bring in any model of the Note7, along with any accessories, to a retail store. Customers will receive a full refund that can be applied to the purchase of any device in the carrier's inventory. Any restocking charges will be waived.

Sprint

The carrier is similarly giving anyone with a replacement Note7 the option to exchange it for another device.

If you purchased the device from a Best Buy, the store is also letting customers exchange the recalled or original Note7, along with any accessories, for another device or for a full refund. And if you bought your phone online from Samsung, customers should contact 1-844-365-6197.

Image via Samsung/CPSC