Hi,
I have a Dell Latitude and always have problems getting the A/C adapter to work when plugged in on an airplane. This happens regardless of airplane model and with either the Dell adapter that came with the laptop or the generic one I routinely use for travel. I always fly business class internationally or first class domestically (in case that's relevant), but which is to say I have "my own" adapter at the seat. (Airlines are Delta, KLM and Air France.) What happens is I plug in the adapter, the small led light on it lights up and then after 1-2 seconds, fades away. The icon on computer itself shows it's charging when the light is on, but goes to battery only when the light goes off. I have to delicately wiggle the plug in various directions, sometimes leave it not completely plugged in, in order to keep the adapter lit. It can literally take 45 minutes of plugging, unplugging moving it a millimeter to the right, to the left, up, down. When I finally FINALLY get it to stay lit, I have to hold my breath so it won't fade out again. I have tried plugging the adapter plug into another adapter first, e.g. three prong adapter or foreign two pin adapter, then into the outlet, but it doesn't make a difference. It still takes at least a half an hour to find the exact spot for the plug to rest in the outlet for the adapter to work. More often than not I am on a long flight, e.g. 12 hours Paris to Cape Town, and the battery simply won't hold out that long. Finally, I have zero problems with either original or backup adapter, regardless of whether I'm in the U.S. or overseas, so the voltage when plugged into a wall doesn't appear to make any difference.
I realize there are bigger problems in the world but this is so frustrating as I travel a lot. Any input or ideas for resolving would be very welcome!
Thanks you,
Bonnie