MacBook Pro - Airplane power requirement/Europe plug adapter

Question

I've been told that i can purchase a power adapter for my MacBook Pro to plug into the airplane's power source but that since the power source on the airplane is only 65 watts (I think), that the adapter will only allow my laptop to power on, but that the battery will not be charged. Does anyone know if this is correct? Is there a specific adapter at the Apple Store that i need to buy? What happens when the battery is fully discharged? Does the computer still power on while plugged into the airplane?
Another question involves traveling to Europe with my MacBook. Other than the plug adapter to fit the European plugs, do i need anything else? I was also told that the MacBooks power fits within Europe's typical wattage requirements. Does anyone know?

Answer 1

Michael J Harnest wrote:
I should mention, though, that not all (a small percentage, even) of airlines have the airline adapter plug available onboard. Call your airline and ask.
Actually, many airlines do have them now, but it's no good to call the airlines for information, the front line phone reps usually don't know. Part of the reason airline customer service cannot help you is that location of power ports varies by aircraft type, and even within a single airplane the power port locations can vary by section or row. A blanket "yes" or "no" answer is not enough information for you, even by flight, and airline customer service is typically not at all set up to find out whether a power port will be at your specific seat on your specific flight.
The best bet is to consult seatguru.com as recommended in the duplicate of this thread that was posted earlier. Seatguru has the best information as to whether your airline's airplane will have power ports, and if so, in which section or row. On my last flight, for instance, the plane did have power ports in the cheap seats, but only in alternating groups of rows. If you didn't check seatguru before specifying your seat preference, you could end up one or two rows too far ahead or behind a whole bunch of power ports.