Samsung Setting Up Note 7 Exchange Booths At Airports Around The World

Image courtesy of Samsung

You’re walking toward airport security when suddenly, you remember that you haven’t exchanged your recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 — and you aren’t allowed to bring it on your flight due to a new federal ban prohibiting the devices on all planes, lest they catch fire. What’s a traveler to do?

Samsung is setting up booths that let travelers exchange their Note 7 devices before they board their flights at airports around the world, where owners can choose to either get a refund or exchange the device for another (and transfer their data to that new phone as well).

Thus far, the booths have opened in South Korea, seven airports in Australia, and are now coming to the United Kingdom’s major terminals, a company spokesperson told CNBC.

There are booths in some U.S. airports, too: ABC 7 News reports an exchange booth at San Francisco International Airport, and Twitter user LAflyr says booths are available at Transportation Security Administration screening spots at Los Angeles International Airport (h/t Gizmodo).

“All Galaxy Note 7 owners should visit their local carrier or retail store and participate in the U.S Note 7 Refund and Exchange Program immediately and before traveling,” Samsung said in a statement to Gizmodo. That being said, the company says it’s coordinating with “various partners to communicate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent order to ban all Galaxy Note7 devices in carry-on and checked baggage on flights across multiple touch-points.”

The company says on-site reps are available at many airports to help customers with last minute travel support. To find out if there’s an exchange booth at an airport near you, you can call the Galaxy Note 7 hotline at 1-844-365-6197.

“We know this is an inconvenience to our customers but safety has to remain our top priority,” the company added.

Samsung Sets Up Airport Exchange Booths to Deal With Note 7 Travel Nightmare [Gizmodo]
Samsung sets up booths in airports to let you exchange Note 7s before boarding [CNBC]

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