Portable chargers must now ride in carry\u2011on bags, or risk being seized at the checkpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Transportation Security Administration has tightened its lithium\u2011battery rules, ordering travelers to keep portable chargers, power banks, and other loose lithium\u2011ion packs out of checked luggage. Anyone who ignores the change could watch agents remove the gadget before the suitcase even reaches the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First reports of the silent crackdown surfaced after officers at several major hubs\u2014Atlanta, Denver, and Los\u202fAngeles among them\u2014began plucking battery packs from suitcases without prior public notice. The agency later confirmed the move, citing the well\u2011documented risk of fires that burn hotter and faster in a confined cargo hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lithium cells can overheat, rupture, and spark when crushed or damaged. Inside the belly of an aircraft, a runaway battery \u201ccan spread quickly and is difficult to control,\u201d aviation outlet AFAR<\/strong> warns. Consequently, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibits spare lithium batteries in checked bags and limits each passenger to two high\u2011capacity units carried in the cabin. Talk about an unwelcome inflight surprise\u2014who wants flames beneath their seat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before zipping up that roller, double\u2011check the items below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Place each device in a protective sleeve, and tape exposed terminals to prevent short circuits. Simple? Yes, but skipping the step can cost time and money at security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember the Los\u202fAngeles traveler who stunned officers last December with 82 fireworks and multiple weapons in her carry\u2011on? Confiscations aren\u2019t always that dramatic, yet losing a $120 power bank hurts. Agents may also issue civil fines if they conclude a flier \u201cwillfully\u201d violated battery rules. Who needs that headache minutes before boarding? <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are the eleven surprising items the TSA now gives the green light to. Not all news is restrictive. Thanks to new CT scanners that peek inside bottles, passengers can BYO:<\/p>\n\n\n\nEverything travelers must shift to carry\u2011on bags under the new rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Penalties and real stories of confiscations you really want to avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n