How does airport security verify that you can carry a battery bank over 100 Wh?












3















in about 3 months I will be flying from Estonia (Tallinn) to New York (Newark) via Stockholm Arlanda by SAS. I have an Aukey 30000 mAh (~111 Wh) battery bank which I'd like to bring on board with me. I did some research and discovered that batteries over 100 Wh require approval by the airline, and on my previous flight from Tallinn on British Airways I wasn't allowed to bring in the battery bank with me, and had to hand it over for storage.



I've contacted SAS customer service and they have given me approval (verbally, over the phone) to bring the battery bank on board in my carry on. They also say it's written somewhere in the booking notes, which the check-in staff would see. However, how would the staff at airport security in Tallinn and Newark know that I'm permitted to carry it? Can they look up my booking and verify it there, or should I request a written approval from SAS to show security?










share|improve this question


















  • 3





    Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

    – Roddy of the Frozen Peas
    3 hours ago











  • This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

    – Spehro Pefhany
    1 hour ago


















3















in about 3 months I will be flying from Estonia (Tallinn) to New York (Newark) via Stockholm Arlanda by SAS. I have an Aukey 30000 mAh (~111 Wh) battery bank which I'd like to bring on board with me. I did some research and discovered that batteries over 100 Wh require approval by the airline, and on my previous flight from Tallinn on British Airways I wasn't allowed to bring in the battery bank with me, and had to hand it over for storage.



I've contacted SAS customer service and they have given me approval (verbally, over the phone) to bring the battery bank on board in my carry on. They also say it's written somewhere in the booking notes, which the check-in staff would see. However, how would the staff at airport security in Tallinn and Newark know that I'm permitted to carry it? Can they look up my booking and verify it there, or should I request a written approval from SAS to show security?










share|improve this question


















  • 3





    Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

    – Roddy of the Frozen Peas
    3 hours ago











  • This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

    – Spehro Pefhany
    1 hour ago
















3












3








3








in about 3 months I will be flying from Estonia (Tallinn) to New York (Newark) via Stockholm Arlanda by SAS. I have an Aukey 30000 mAh (~111 Wh) battery bank which I'd like to bring on board with me. I did some research and discovered that batteries over 100 Wh require approval by the airline, and on my previous flight from Tallinn on British Airways I wasn't allowed to bring in the battery bank with me, and had to hand it over for storage.



I've contacted SAS customer service and they have given me approval (verbally, over the phone) to bring the battery bank on board in my carry on. They also say it's written somewhere in the booking notes, which the check-in staff would see. However, how would the staff at airport security in Tallinn and Newark know that I'm permitted to carry it? Can they look up my booking and verify it there, or should I request a written approval from SAS to show security?










share|improve this question














in about 3 months I will be flying from Estonia (Tallinn) to New York (Newark) via Stockholm Arlanda by SAS. I have an Aukey 30000 mAh (~111 Wh) battery bank which I'd like to bring on board with me. I did some research and discovered that batteries over 100 Wh require approval by the airline, and on my previous flight from Tallinn on British Airways I wasn't allowed to bring in the battery bank with me, and had to hand it over for storage.



I've contacted SAS customer service and they have given me approval (verbally, over the phone) to bring the battery bank on board in my carry on. They also say it's written somewhere in the booking notes, which the check-in staff would see. However, how would the staff at airport security in Tallinn and Newark know that I'm permitted to carry it? Can they look up my booking and verify it there, or should I request a written approval from SAS to show security?







air-travel airport-security






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 4 hours ago









Sandy BridgeSandy Bridge

282




282








  • 3





    Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

    – Roddy of the Frozen Peas
    3 hours ago











  • This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

    – Spehro Pefhany
    1 hour ago
















  • 3





    Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

    – Roddy of the Frozen Peas
    3 hours ago











  • This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

    – Spehro Pefhany
    1 hour ago










3




3





Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
3 hours ago





Was it security who stopped you before in Tallinn?

– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
3 hours ago













This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

– Spehro Pefhany
1 hour ago







This is one case where typical "optimistic" Asian nameplate ratings can lead to inconvenience. According to one test it was more like 20,000mAh.

– Spehro Pefhany
1 hour ago












1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















5














In short, they don't know, but they also (usually) don't care. There are three different things at play here:





  1. Airport security, run by the TSA and its equivalents in other countries. The TSA is fine with power banks. In some airports, you're required to take power banks out of your bag, but this is just to ensure that they're not bombs or something. (Of course, large lithium batteries actually make pretty impressive incendiary devices, but apparently no terrorist has figured this out yet...)


  2. Aviation authority rules, set by the FAA and its equivalents. This one is cut and dry: FAA regulations prohibit carrying portable batteries over 100 Wh. Your airline does not have the power to waive this!


  3. Airline rules, which each airline can set for themselves. In this case, you've received permission so you're good.


In practice, what's going to happen is that your power pack will (most likely) be waved through TSA security and allowed on board by the airline. You are technically violating FAA regulations, but it's unlikely that anybody will notice or stop you, or that the extra 10 Wh poses a meaningful extra risk to anybody if they don't.



FWIW, I always travel with a 20000 mAh power pack and I've had somebody inspect the label exactly once, and that was in Beijing, which is rather infamous for really strict and often pointless security rules. I'm somewhat surprised to hear Tallinn did the same to you, but in my experience this really is the exception rather than the rule.






share|improve this answer

























    Your Answer








    StackExchange.ready(function() {
    var channelOptions = {
    tags: "".split(" "),
    id: "273"
    };
    initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

    StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
    // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
    if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
    StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
    createEditor();
    });
    }
    else {
    createEditor();
    }
    });

    function createEditor() {
    StackExchange.prepareEditor({
    heartbeatType: 'answer',
    autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
    convertImagesToLinks: false,
    noModals: true,
    showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
    reputationToPostImages: null,
    bindNavPrevention: true,
    postfix: "",
    imageUploader: {
    brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
    contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
    allowUrls: true
    },
    noCode: true, onDemand: true,
    discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
    ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
    });


    }
    });














    draft saved

    draft discarded


















    StackExchange.ready(
    function () {
    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2ftravel.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f133750%2fhow-does-airport-security-verify-that-you-can-carry-a-battery-bank-over-100-wh%23new-answer', 'question_page');
    }
    );

    Post as a guest















    Required, but never shown

























    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes








    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    5














    In short, they don't know, but they also (usually) don't care. There are three different things at play here:





    1. Airport security, run by the TSA and its equivalents in other countries. The TSA is fine with power banks. In some airports, you're required to take power banks out of your bag, but this is just to ensure that they're not bombs or something. (Of course, large lithium batteries actually make pretty impressive incendiary devices, but apparently no terrorist has figured this out yet...)


    2. Aviation authority rules, set by the FAA and its equivalents. This one is cut and dry: FAA regulations prohibit carrying portable batteries over 100 Wh. Your airline does not have the power to waive this!


    3. Airline rules, which each airline can set for themselves. In this case, you've received permission so you're good.


    In practice, what's going to happen is that your power pack will (most likely) be waved through TSA security and allowed on board by the airline. You are technically violating FAA regulations, but it's unlikely that anybody will notice or stop you, or that the extra 10 Wh poses a meaningful extra risk to anybody if they don't.



    FWIW, I always travel with a 20000 mAh power pack and I've had somebody inspect the label exactly once, and that was in Beijing, which is rather infamous for really strict and often pointless security rules. I'm somewhat surprised to hear Tallinn did the same to you, but in my experience this really is the exception rather than the rule.






    share|improve this answer






























      5














      In short, they don't know, but they also (usually) don't care. There are three different things at play here:





      1. Airport security, run by the TSA and its equivalents in other countries. The TSA is fine with power banks. In some airports, you're required to take power banks out of your bag, but this is just to ensure that they're not bombs or something. (Of course, large lithium batteries actually make pretty impressive incendiary devices, but apparently no terrorist has figured this out yet...)


      2. Aviation authority rules, set by the FAA and its equivalents. This one is cut and dry: FAA regulations prohibit carrying portable batteries over 100 Wh. Your airline does not have the power to waive this!


      3. Airline rules, which each airline can set for themselves. In this case, you've received permission so you're good.


      In practice, what's going to happen is that your power pack will (most likely) be waved through TSA security and allowed on board by the airline. You are technically violating FAA regulations, but it's unlikely that anybody will notice or stop you, or that the extra 10 Wh poses a meaningful extra risk to anybody if they don't.



      FWIW, I always travel with a 20000 mAh power pack and I've had somebody inspect the label exactly once, and that was in Beijing, which is rather infamous for really strict and often pointless security rules. I'm somewhat surprised to hear Tallinn did the same to you, but in my experience this really is the exception rather than the rule.






      share|improve this answer




























        5












        5








        5







        In short, they don't know, but they also (usually) don't care. There are three different things at play here:





        1. Airport security, run by the TSA and its equivalents in other countries. The TSA is fine with power banks. In some airports, you're required to take power banks out of your bag, but this is just to ensure that they're not bombs or something. (Of course, large lithium batteries actually make pretty impressive incendiary devices, but apparently no terrorist has figured this out yet...)


        2. Aviation authority rules, set by the FAA and its equivalents. This one is cut and dry: FAA regulations prohibit carrying portable batteries over 100 Wh. Your airline does not have the power to waive this!


        3. Airline rules, which each airline can set for themselves. In this case, you've received permission so you're good.


        In practice, what's going to happen is that your power pack will (most likely) be waved through TSA security and allowed on board by the airline. You are technically violating FAA regulations, but it's unlikely that anybody will notice or stop you, or that the extra 10 Wh poses a meaningful extra risk to anybody if they don't.



        FWIW, I always travel with a 20000 mAh power pack and I've had somebody inspect the label exactly once, and that was in Beijing, which is rather infamous for really strict and often pointless security rules. I'm somewhat surprised to hear Tallinn did the same to you, but in my experience this really is the exception rather than the rule.






        share|improve this answer















        In short, they don't know, but they also (usually) don't care. There are three different things at play here:





        1. Airport security, run by the TSA and its equivalents in other countries. The TSA is fine with power banks. In some airports, you're required to take power banks out of your bag, but this is just to ensure that they're not bombs or something. (Of course, large lithium batteries actually make pretty impressive incendiary devices, but apparently no terrorist has figured this out yet...)


        2. Aviation authority rules, set by the FAA and its equivalents. This one is cut and dry: FAA regulations prohibit carrying portable batteries over 100 Wh. Your airline does not have the power to waive this!


        3. Airline rules, which each airline can set for themselves. In this case, you've received permission so you're good.


        In practice, what's going to happen is that your power pack will (most likely) be waved through TSA security and allowed on board by the airline. You are technically violating FAA regulations, but it's unlikely that anybody will notice or stop you, or that the extra 10 Wh poses a meaningful extra risk to anybody if they don't.



        FWIW, I always travel with a 20000 mAh power pack and I've had somebody inspect the label exactly once, and that was in Beijing, which is rather infamous for really strict and often pointless security rules. I'm somewhat surprised to hear Tallinn did the same to you, but in my experience this really is the exception rather than the rule.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 1 hour ago

























        answered 1 hour ago









        jpatokaljpatokal

        116k18363523




        116k18363523






























            draft saved

            draft discarded




















































            Thanks for contributing an answer to Travel Stack Exchange!


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid



            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




            draft saved


            draft discarded














            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2ftravel.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f133750%2fhow-does-airport-security-verify-that-you-can-carry-a-battery-bank-over-100-wh%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown





















































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown

































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown







            Popular posts from this blog

            Knooppunt Holsloot

            Altaar (religie)

            Gregoriusmis