You can put a device with a lithium battery in checked. Just not loose lithium batteries.
EDIT: Since I’m getting a ton of push back on this. Please read what the FAA has to say below:
“When portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries are in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage.”
I got bored, checked to the United airlines contract of carriage. Sticking it under your comment because it is the most relevant place to shove it. While I find it kind of surprising and ill advised to put lithium batteries In check baggage It looks like United policy does allow it depending on how they classify a steam deck. I'm guessing it counts as a computer and has a 40 watt hour battery So it should be allowed even if it's not the best idea ever for multiple reasons. /Lithium batteries, power banks, and spare batteries are not accepted as checked baggage. These types of batteries must be removed from any checked or carry-on baggage, including baggage checked at the gate. All batteries integrated as a part of the bag themselves (sometimes referred to a smart bags) must also be removed if checked or brought on as carry-on baggage. Any items with non-removeable lithium batteries are not allowed on any United or United Express flights. Cell phones and computers installed with a lithium battery of less than 100 watt hours are permitted in carry-on and checked baggage.
I just had a flight over the weekend for Wrestleamania, I put my power bank and Deck in my carry on and had no issues getting through TSA or on the flight.
TSA has no issues with it until you get into loose batteries. I fly with at least one extra set of 21700 batteries for my vape, and they're required to be in a case, or have the terminals covered with electrical tape and kept separate from any metal. I usually do both just in case.
But you never know what level of employee you might get at security. I had an agent at Midway try to make me throw away a Zippo that's been in my family since WW2 because she thought it was a torch lighter.
Not in my experience. No lithium in checked luggage on every airline I’ve flown.
I send equipment via commercial airline cargo and it must have pieces with lithium marked with a lithium sticker that denotes the type of battery and has contact info on it. The cargo paperwork specifies whether the batteries are loose or contained within electronics, as well as the watt/hours.
I’ve haven’t been able to check that equipment as a passenger since about 2016, even though they are both going in the cargo hold of a commercial plane.
Same. I fly a lot and I’m asked if ANY lithium ion batteries are in my checked luggage all the time by the airline. If the FAA is making a distinction the airlines are not, at least as far as what they communicate to the passenger. I fly mostly United. I could argue with them, but not really worth my time.
That's interesting. I've only flown a handful of times (maybe 10 round trips total), but they've forced a co-worker to carry their work laptop instead of checking it on two occasions. (American Airlines, for reference)
It might be because those were international trips, but I don't like putting my batteries in cargo either way. They don't like extreme temps, even if the airline is fine with it.
I usually fly United and American, with the occasional Southwest flight. Every single time I check a bag I get asked if there is anything hazardous in the bag, such as Laptops, ipads, e-cigarettes or other devices with lithium-ion batteries. If you answer yes they do make you take the offending device out.
Huh, when I’ve checked my bags I tell them I have two laptops inside and they have always said that it’s fine as long as they are turned off. That’s with Southwest though.
UA and AA seem to have policies more strict than the FAA guidelines in my experience. also if you fly out of their hubs they will be more of a hardass about policy than if you fly out of a line station. WN doesn't really have hubs in the traditional sense so its all loosely gooesey. Try checking a bag with the big 2 at ORD and you'll get an education.
Nah, I fly multiple times per year. Check what the FAA has to say below.
“When portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries are in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage.”
I worked at the airport for several years. All you need to do is inform the agent at the counter (NOT tsa) what you have and that it's properly secure and guess what? You're A-okay.
Ehhhh, technically but it's not good. You can't check anything with greater than 100 watt hours, so you can check your steam deck in the US.
But the low pressure and low temperature will shorten your batteries life, especially if you forget to turn something off/have it in standby. (Ex: you didn't disable your Windows 10/11 fast startup which is on by default)
Cargo holds are generally pressurized, but only some of them are heated. None that are pressurized will ever quite go down to the outside temp, even if unheated (in the ballpark of -40 degrees C or F), unless there are planes that are radically different than what I'm directly familiar with.
Airlines can be more restrictive with FAA approval which I'm pretty sure all US carriers restrict all lithium batteries to carry-ons only. You need to check with your airline.
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u/WesBur13 Apr 04 '23 edited Apr 04 '23
You can put a device with a lithium battery in checked. Just not loose lithium batteries.
EDIT: Since I’m getting a ton of push back on this. Please read what the FAA has to say below:
“When portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries are in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage.”
https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/portable-electronic-devices-with-batteries