Overview
- FAA holiday guidance urges travelers to keep electronics and spare lithium batteries in carry‑on bags and to avoid packing them in checked luggage.
- Officials report a recent spike in confiscations of oversized power banks at Tampa and Miami airports, with items above 160 watt‑hours forbidden and subject to penalties.
- Current limits: 0–100 Wh allowed in carry‑on, 101–160 Wh allowed in carry‑on with airline approval and capped at two per person, anything above 160 Wh banned.
- Airlines are tightening practices as risks grow: Southwest now requires devices to be charged in plain sight and equips flights with containment bags, which American and Delta say they also carry.
- Safety experts warn of thermal runaway in failing cells, with e‑cigarettes, power banks, phones and laptops often implicated, and the FAA’s September alert pressed carriers to review firefighting procedures and passenger messaging.