Batteries on Board: Can You Put Electronics in Checked Bags?

A couple of years ago, I boarded a flight with two bags in hand: One had my dog, and the other was filled with electronics and batteries. The dog went under the seat in front of me, and the suitcase full of electronics went into the overhead bin.

When I say it was full, I mean it had an Apple Magic Mouse, a battery that I detached from my handheld vacuum cleaner, Bluetooth headphones (both over-ear and in-ear), charging cables galore, an electric dog nail file, an ereader, an iPhone, a mini camping lantern, a Nintendo Switch Lite, a rechargeable fabric shaver, two Android phones, two fitness trackers, and two laptops.

This might sound absurd, but I was moving, and the packers shipping the bulk of my stuff said, “Absolutely no lithium-ion batteries.” So, everything I owned with a rechargeable battery had to travel with me. And because the airline that I was traveling with prohibited any lithium-ion batteries from being in checked luggage, I had to put them all into my carry-on bag.

Some airlines technically let you put lithium-ion batteries into your checked luggage as long as they’re installed in a device and fully powered off. The Transportation Security Administration points you to the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules, which say you can have a laptop, digital camera, or other device with an installed lithium-ion battery in your checked luggage as long as it’s fully powered off and can’t be accidentally powered on.

Whether it’s advisable is another matter. If you travel with a lot of electronics, here’s what you need to know.

Are There Different Types of Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Most of the airline policies I’ve read recognize three kinds of lithium-ion batteries. You need to know what they are to understand the rules. They are:

1. Installed batteries, such as those in a phone or laptop.

2. Battery packs or loose batteries, meaning batteries with 100 watt-hours or less; in other words, portable chargers and power banks.

3. Spare batteries, also called large battery packs, are batteries with more than 100 watt-hours (the TSA classifies them as having 101 to 160 watt-hours or lithium metal batteries with 2 to 8 grams of lithium). Think of a big battery that would normally be installed in something but currently isn’t.

So-called dry cell batteries (such as 9-volt, AA, AAA, “button,” C, and D), like those in traditional watches and hearing aids, are perfectly fine in carry-on or checked luggage, whether they’re installed in a device or not. (Note that rechargeable AA or AAA batteries are not dry cells; you can put those only in your carry-on bags.)

Which Airlines Let You Put Lithium-Ion Devices in Checked Luggage?

In reading through the battery policies of six major US carriers, only American Airlines says you can’t put lithium-ion battery devices that are powered off into your checked bags. Four say you can as long as the device is fully powered off, as per the FAA guidance. One airline is unclear.

All the airlines require you to carry spare batteries and battery packs on board in your carry-on bags, though how many you can bring and how you must wrap them varies slightly. Storing them in the original packaging is always allowed and seemingly preferred. Covering the terminals with non-conductive tape and wrapping each battery in individual plastic is more than sufficient for all airlines.

Below, I summarize the battery policies for six airlines. Note that this information is correct as of the time of publication, but policies may change.

Alaska Airlines

You can put a device with an installed lithium battery into your checked luggage if said device is fully powered off. Spare batteries are allowed only in carry-on items, and you must store them in their original packaging or cover their terminals with non-conductive tape. Alaska Airlines actually goes into great detail in its policy about specific electronic devices that have been recalled and, therefore, aren’t allowed on its planes at all.

American Airlines

All lithium batteries and devices with them installed can be only in carry-on luggage.

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Delta

You can put a device with an installed lithium battery into your checked luggage if it is fully powered off. Spare lithium batteries are not allowed in checked baggage, however. You must store them in carry-on luggage and protect the battery either in its original packaging or by wrapping it.

JetBlue

You can put a device with an installed lithium battery into your checked luggage if the device is fully powered off. Spare lithium batteries are carry-on only.

Southwest

According to the airline’s website, “Spare lithium batteries for portable electronic devices and cigarette lighters must be removed from checked or gate-checked baggage and carried onboard the aircraft.”

United

The airline allows lithium batteries in carry-on bags. It doesn’t permit loose lithium batteries in checked luggage.

Most of these policies detail the number of spare batteries you can carry onboard and provide specific details about them. All let you carry at least two spare batteries. Refer to your airline’s policy if you need to travel with more than that.

Do You Really Want Your Laptop in Your Checked Bag?

Being allowed to put a powered-off digital camera or handheld gaming device in your checked bag is one thing. Believing it’s a good idea is another.

I’d rather have anything of value in my carry-on bags. I don’t want expensive electronics inside if my checked bags get lost or damaged. I also don’t thoroughly trust that items won’t fall out or otherwise go missing if someone searches my luggage.

To err on the side of caution, bring all your devices with rechargeable batteries and spare batteries on board. Battery banks are OK, but don’t bring more than two spare batteries. Cover their terminals with non-conductive tape. Then, wrap the whole thing in plastic or put it in its original packaging. Whatever airline you choose to fly on, double-check its policy a day or two before you travel.

Ultimately, you’re always at the mercy of the individual agents screening your checked luggage or whoever is at the TSA checkpoint screening your carry-on items. If you bring all your electronics with you in your carry-on, at least you can talk to a person face-to-face if they have a problem with how many batteries or battery-powered devices you have and how you pack them.

About Jill Duffy

Contributor

I’ve been contributing to PCMag since 2011 in a variety of ways. My column, Get Organized, has been running on PCMag since 2012. It gives advice on how to manage all the devices, apps, digital photos, email, and other technology that can make you feel like you’re going to have a panic attack.

My latest book is The Everything Guide to Remote Work, which goes into great detail about a subject that I’ve been covering as a writer and participating in personally since well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

I write about work culture, personal productivity, and software, including project management software, collaboration apps, productivity apps, and language-learning software.

Previously, I worked for the Association for Computing Machinery, The San Francisco Examiner newspaper, Game Developer magazine, and (I kid you not) The Journal of Chemical Physics. I was once profiled in an article in Vogue India alongside Marie Kondo. I’m currently pursuing a few unannounced long-form projects.

Follow me on Mastodon.

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