Gulf airlines will suffer: For fliers, laptop ban makes for a bumpy ride

Airlines like Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways stand to lose market share

Although it went into effect only on Saturday, a ban on electronic devices like laptops and tablets on certain overseas flights bound for the United States and Britain has already prompted business travellers to rethink their travel plans.

For travellers who frequently cross through the West Asia and North Africa, the choices put them between a rock and a hard place: They can check their devices and lose a day or more of productive work, as well as run the risk of damage or theft, or trade a nonstop flight on a high-end Persian Gulf carrier for connecting flights on