Departure lounges in airports are, at the best of times, incredibly dull and if your flight is delayed, you may find yourself cycling through apps on your phone, grasping at straws for entertainment and distraction.
Of course, this drains your battery and what is the first thing you do when you see that all-important battery running down? Look for an outlet to plug your phone into.
Now, personally, I never travel without at least two charged battery packs but less anxious people tend to find USB ports in airport lounges which may seem handy but according to multiple UK airlines, you shouldn’t be so readily using these outlets.
Why you should never charge your phone in the airport
Travel expert Megan who shares travel tips on advice on her YouTube channel Portable Professional said: “Using an airport USB to charge your devices can expose you to a scam called ‘juice jacking’. This happens when public USB ports are manipulated to steal data from your devices that are connected to them.”
Cool, cool, cool.
Instead, Megan advises using a travel adapter for your plugs.
She said: “Using an adapter allows you to safely connect to outlets. Unlike USB ports, AC outlets are purely for power and they don’t transfer data, ensuring there is no risk to your personal information while it’s charging.
“Navigating airport layovers with multiple devices can be tricky, and a big mistake that travellers make is not having a plan to keep all of their devices charged.”
How to keep your information safe when travelling
According to the National Security Alliance, these are the steps we must take to keep our information safe while travelling: “Back up your data and make sure your software is updated.
“Use complex, unique, and long passwords for every account, along with multi-factor authentication (MFA). Use a password manager to generate, maintain, and store your strong passwords! Secure every device with a password and MFA.”
Stay safe out there!