8

Let's say you buy a spare battery for your laptop and forget to put it in your carry-on (as per IATA rules). What happens next? Some possible scenarios:

  • The airlines tend to ignore that regulation and don't bother checking for batteries
  • The airline will open your bag, take out the battery, and leave a 'sorry' note
  • The airline will pull you off the flight and force you to take out the battery

The question is inspired by a real-life scenario where I've remembered about the batteries regulation a few seconds before checking in my luggage.

Nate Eldredge
  • 38,134
  • 11
  • 137
  • 156
JonathanReez
  • 82,178
  • 90
  • 394
  • 764

1 Answers1

3

Let's say you buy a spare battery for your laptop and forget to put it in your carry-on (as per IATA rules). What happens next?

"Do nothing" happens.

Remove battery happens.
Fine or prosecution MAY happen.

Take you off plane is less likely than take bag off plane, leave you on. |

Despite @JonathanReez's comment, the risk from checked batteries is real. It's relatively small - but higher than never having a cargo hold fire.

I had a sealed lead acid (motorcycle) battery that I took legally as carry-on on a NZ domestic flight. It was stupidly and improperly rejected by checkin.
I hid it in an airport garden and it was collected by someone else in due course.

They subsequently carried it as check-in luggage on the same route.
I gave them the correct IATA magic words and exemption codes to write on the wrapper - as required by the rules.
The battery arrived OK BUT it was evident that it had been checked during transit. Presumably it would have been removed if it had not met rules.
IATA code must be good juju :-).

Russell McMahon
  • 10,282
  • 35
  • 49