Southwest limits power banks

Southwest Airlines will cap passengers at one lithium battery portable charger per person on flights starting April 20. (southwest.com) (money.usnews.com) The airline is also barring those chargers from overhead bins and requiring customers to keep them visible while in use in the cabin. Reuters reported Southwest will not allow the chargers to be recharged through in-seat power during the flight. (southwest.com) (money.usnews.com) Federal rules already prohibit power banks in checked baggage because they are spare lithium batteries, which can overheat or catch fire if damaged or short-circuited. The Transportation Security Administration says they must go in carry-on bags, and the Federal Aviation Administration says they should stay accessible in the cabin. (tsa.gov) (faa.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration allows most consumer lithium-ion batteries up to 100 watt-hours, a size that covers most phone and laptop backup chargers, with no general quantity cap for those smaller spare batteries. Southwest is adding its own stricter one-charger limit on top of that federal baseline. (faa.gov) (money.usnews.com) That changes the packing math for travelers who carry multiple backup batteries on long trips, especially as summer flying approaches and airport delays can stretch charging needs. It also gives gate agents and flight crews a simpler rule than checking watt-hour labels or counting larger batteries that already need airline approval. (faa.gov) (southwest.com) Southwest’s current help pages already tell customers not to pack portable chargers in checked luggage and warn against traveling with recalled, damaged, or defective batteries. The airline says partner-airline itineraries may follow different rules. (southwest.com 1) (southwest.com 2) The Federal Aviation Administration separately says that if a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or planeside, spare lithium batteries and portable rechargers must be removed and kept with the passenger in the cabin. That guidance lines up with Southwest’s new emphasis on keeping the charger where crew can see and reach it. (faa.gov) (southwest.com) For Southwest customers flying on or after April 20, the practical rule is narrower than the federal minimum: bring one portable charger, keep it out of checked bags and overhead bins, and expect crew to enforce it onboard. (southwest.com) (tsa.gov)