Lithium Batteries On Planes - New Regulations

[Mike Farley]

New rules come into force on 1 April (really) which restrict what can be taken on board a passenger plane. Thom Hogan has the full story, but it does not look as though it will not effect the batteries in cameras. These can be carried either as cabin or checked luggage provided they are in the camera, although I imagine few people would want to allow their camera to go into the hold. Spare batteries can be carried separately, but only in cabin luggage. The position is similar for computer batteries, although some might exceed the lowest 100 watt hours limit. In which case, only two spare batteries can be carried in cabin luggage and airline permission might be required. If in doubt, check with the airline.

http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/the ... story.html

[davidc]

This has been in force out here for a while. I've been putting electrician tape over the terminals on any batteries I carry in my hand luggage.
Another thing to watch out for are the large "powerbrick" style batteries you can get to charge your phone or adapt to run your camera for longer - I had a large, high capacity battery that was below the carry on limit but because officials couldn't see the rating they confiscated it. So make sure you only back batteries where the rating is clearly legible or you'll lose it!

[Mike Farley]

This has been in force out here for a while.

My bad in not being sufficiently specific. I believe what is happening is that there is a change in the limits rather than the introduction of a completely new restriction.

Good points about the insulating tape and "poerbrick" batteries.

I have not checked every computer, but I did note that the sealed battery for the 15" MacBook Pro comes in at 99.5 watt hours, so I suspect that most recent laptops will be OK.

[Mike Farley]

I have just checked all the batteries of the laptops in the house and those with user removable units all have a watt hour rating between 53 to 56, including the Dell Inspiron similar to the one the club used to own and which was purchased in 2005. The only computer where the battery is sealed inside is my MacBook Pro 13" which is rated at 74.9 watt hours, although this is not indicated on the case markings. That's slightly worrying if encountering a jobsworth or possibly corrupt security official. It looks as though one way Apple achieves a longer uptime away from the mains is by fitting batteries with a higher capacity than other manufacturers. Despite my earlier reservations, it seems that most laptops conform to the latest rules.