The cost of Class A approval for this product is on the order of $500. You take it out to an FCC certified range, they verify Class A compliance in about 20 minutes for a device like this, and that is that. For this product it probably wasn't even very hard. It is things like computers, CRT's, and switching power supplies that are tough...
FCC compliance has little to do with aircraft safety, and the airline and the TSA could care less. As far as the airline is concerned, it is either an approved device or it isn't, and the FCC isn't part of that approval process.
Fortunate all laptops sold in the USA must be class B devices,and that makes the airline decision much easier, since class B sets very low limits on emissions. If you built a laptop that only ran on disposable batteries, you could probably avoid certification, but if it plugs into the wall, it must pass FCC A, and if for residential use, must be class B. Either way, the testing requirement is that it must meet the standard in normal operation, with all devices it would normally connect to operating. so in effect the AC adapter forces laptops to be class B.