Over the last five years, travelers have begun relying on lithium-ion battery-powered charging packs.
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In fact, they’re often high on the list of must-have travel products. Charging packs (also called power packs and battery packs) are portable charging devices that are handy for all-day excursions. You can use them to charge phones, headphones, and more on the go.
Unfortunately, lithium-ion batteries are prone to overheating. Overheating can quickly create smoke and even cause fires. For this reason, airlines have begun to ask passengers to store all lithium-ion powered batteries in carry-ons rather than check-in luggage—and cabin crew are trained to handle incidents involving battery packs.
You might have noticed added screenings at the gate, too. Gate agents are cracking down on battery packs, double-checking that they aren’t in carry-ons that need to be checked last-minute. Federal aviation laws prohibit battery packs from being transported in checked luggage.
But American Airlines is taking its approach even further, starting May 1, joining airlines like United and Delta in cracking down on portable charging packs.
American Airlines announces rule change regarding portable power packs
In a statement released to USA Today, an American Airlines spokesperson wrote, “We know our customers rely on portable chargers to keep devices powered throughout their journey. To support safety on board while ensuring our customers continue to have the ability to charge when on the go, American is requiring customers to keep these devices easily accessible during flight.”
Starting on May 1, all passengers must keep their battery pack in sight when in use and easily accessible when not in use. No battery packs can be stowed in the overhead bins. The goal is to help identify overheating lithium-ion battery packs sooner rather than later.
Additionally, American Airlines will begin limiting the number of lithium-ion batteries a passenger can bring onboard and limiting their watt-hour capacity. Now, passengers will be limited to two portable power packs.
Lastly, battery packs cannot be recharged using American Airlines’ in-flight sockets.
