This is just barely a SW question. I have been spending a lot of time on airplanes lately. Initially I was thrilled to see that Delta had power outlets in First Class on some planes. That seemed to mean that I could hop on a long flight, plug in my notebook computer and work the whole way. I was disappointed to discover that there appears to be a problem with the power source on the plane feeding power through the big clunky AC adaptor that my notebook uses. My wife's little laptop does not have this problem and she can use their power source. With mine, the light on the AC adaptor comes on briefly to indicate it is getting power , then dims and goes out. My SolidWorks notebook still runs off the battery even when it is plugged in on the plane. Then during a layover, I can plug into a wall socket at the airport and all is well. I have had this experience on 3 different planes before giving up. I have also over-heard other passengers complain about similar problems.

Does anybody know what is going on with this? Is there a different style of AC adaptor that would work with my notebook and be able to use the power on the plane?? If not, I guess I'll just read a good book.