Have people heard about this?

I was in a cab and heard this briefly and am doing some searches online. It sounds like they are allowed in hand luggage. I was worrying that I'd have to check my bag if I had batteries, but I guess not.

Why don't you go to tsa.gov for the official policy instead of working from hearsay? Maybe a couple of airline sites as well.

Current discussion on the airline forum http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35097120

Please bear with me here: is it true that the NiMH batteries are not lithium?

Was there anything factually wrong about what I wrote, Robespierre?

I did check some Google news articles. Was just wondering if there's been a discussion here. I don't normally read the Airlines forum so I didn't see that discussion.

"Why don't you go to tsa.gov for the official policy"

What's the tsa site got to do with travelling here? And when did their rules get to be official in the civilised world?

The DfT, for example, hasn't, as far as I'm aware, published any such rule.

It's not a TSA rule; it's a DOT rule, and you can read the official rules here:

http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

Zelina
Good link, thanks.

But, why are these new requirements being implented. The link doesn't say why.

Just as a sidebar, I saw double A batteries (AA)in bubblepack. This is a type of Energizer battery. So, with the new regulations, you couldn't put a four-pack into your checked baggage.

Again, "Why" anyone?

Blackduff

>>But, why are these new requirements being implented.<<

Bureaucratic overkill. There is assumed to be a fire risk with lithium batteries.

Please note: Most batteries are *not* lithium batteries, and even most lithium batteries fall under the limits of the new rules.

How they think they're going to enforce these rules, I have no idea...

Enforcement is interesting, I agree.

Regarding why these rules....

I think that I read/heard somewhere that there was speculation a fire somewhere (some airport?) could have been due to lithium batteries.

Since I read/heard this somewhere, I think this could be "hearsay," so please don't flame me or sound so strict. I may cry as a result. :'(

Hi H,

No.

NiMH batteries are not Lion (lithium) batteries.

Laptop batteries are Lithium and have been known, on rare occasions, to catch fire. This was caused by a manufacturing fault.

A while ago, wasn't there this stunning of a laptop (was it Dell?) bursting into flames? I think it was a battery fault. Was that Lithium? I know that there was a subsequent battery recall and replace, but I never got around to checking whether my model has this problem.

I use the adapter anyway and I've not used my battery at all since I bought my laptop well over 2 years ago.

Thanks, Ira. I feel better now.

Lithium ion (Li-Ion) and Lithium batteries are not the same thing. Quoting from tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm: "Lithium-ion batteries, often found in laptop computers, differ from primary lithium batteries, which are often used in cameras. Some newer AA-size batteries are also primary lithium."

Sony brand Lithium-Ion batteries in Dell computers have caught fire, but that's not at issue here.

Lithium batteries cannot be extinguished with normal fire-suppressing agents aboard aircraft. I don't know why they're allowed to fly at all.

No-checked-lithium is DoT's regulation, but TSA is in charge of enforcing it.

I don't understand why this rule makes sense really. Thanks for the link. Part of it says, "Primary lithium batteries cannot be extinguished with firefighting agents normally carried on aircraft...."

Ok, if that's the case, how is insisting that people carry these batteries helpful?

I guess maybe you can argue the risk is more isolated. If the cargo bin catches fire, it can spread more easily?

If there's a fire in the hold, there's no way to get to it. In the cabin, at least there's a fighting chance.

Forcing them to be carry-on also provides TSA the ability to make sure they are packed in such a way that they aren't in danger of shorting - which I suppose is the primary mode of ignition.

This is a long reply, but perhaps it will help….

Here is an excerpt from a 12/28/07 AP news article: "The Federal Aviation Administration has found that fire-protection systems in the cargo hold of passenger planes can't put out fires sparked in lithium batteries. The National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month said it could not rule out lithium batteries as the source of a cargo plane fire at Philadelphia International Airport last year."

As mentioned, it is the FAA/DOT ruling that TSA will enforce. And, from the TSA… "Effective January 1, 2008, spare lithium batteries - extra batteries not installed on devices - will no longer be allowed in checked baggage. Spare lithium batteries may be packed in carry-on baggage and lithium batteries installed in a device may be packed in either checked or carry-on, as long as the battery is installed in the device."

For those who haven't yet followed and read the link in Zerlina's post, here's an excerpt from the DOT ruling to be followed by the TSA – boldface and italics are my emphasis:

&quot;The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of 'equivalent lithium content.' 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours. Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. <b>All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.</b> You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, <i>in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold.</i> For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery. Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal.&quot;

From reading elsewhere, I've learned the <b>100 watt-hour limit is key.</b> A typical laptop (eg, my Dell) is rated at 2200 mAh (milliampere hours) at 14.8 V. Some batteries will state the capacity (in this case 32 W-H (watt-hours). I found out how to calculate it: multiply 2200 mAh times 14.8 V to get 32,120 milliwatt hours. Move the decimal point 3 places to the left to get <u>32 watt-hours.</u>

An extended spare lithium battery for my LG cell phone is rated at 1700 mAh at 3.7 V. Again, multiply 1700 mAh times 3.7 V to get 6,290 milliwatt hours. Move the decimal point 3 places to the left to get <u>6 watt-hours.</u>

Please let me know if my understanding of any of the above is incorrect.

And, thus, conclusions for my husband's and my future travels: (a) no spare batteries in checked luggage (even if not lithium - so there is no cause for TSA to rummage through the checked bag looking to see if they are lithium); and (b) even though we don't carry anything that falls into the battery limitations for carry-on luggage, we'll keep any spare lithium batteries of any size in separate zip-lock bags (my understanding is that this is needed only for <i>exposed</i> contacts to prevent accidental shorting and subsequent fire – as always, it will boil down to the TSA screener's interpretation of requirements).

Lastly, it seems to me—at least IMHO—that the real issue is how well (or not) individual TSA screeners will handle their enforcement responsibilities, based on their understanding (or lack) of what it is they are supposed to enforce.

There was an article about it in my local newspaper yesterday.

&quot;A typical laptop (eg, my Dell) is rated at 2200 mAh (milliampere hours) at 14.8 V. Some batteries will state the capacity (in this case 32 W-H (watt-hours). I found out how to calculate it: multiply 2200 mAh times 14.8 V to get 32,120 milliwatt hours. Move the decimal point 3 places to the left to get 32 watt-hours.&quot;

Full marks for mathematical rigor. You can also ball-park it by saying: 2 Amp-hours at 15 volts = 30Wh. Close enough.