Travelling can be a nerve-wracking experience, and the last thing anyone wants is to have their journey halted due to an innocent packing error. It’s all too easy to pack unsuitable items by mistake, which could potentially lead to being denied boarding.
Packing your bags can be a tedious chore, and it’s common for travellers to inadvertently include items that could cause issues. A baggage handler from American Airlines took to Reddit to offer some sage advice on luggage preparation, highlighting that certain items could get you into trouble.
They cautioned: “Pressure does weird things. Decreased atmospheric pressure at altitude can cause pressurised bottles and cans to leak. I have had to clean the better part of an entire can of shaving cream out of my toiletry kit before.”
Items such as aerosol sunscreens and deodorants are often packed without a second thought, particularly for trips to warmer climates. However, if you’re unsure about what’s permissible in both carry-on and checked luggage, the Civil Aviation Authority provides a comprehensive list of what’s allowed and what’s not.
The CAA’s current security rules for UK flights prohibit carrying liquids, including aerosols and gels, in hand luggage through security checkpoints in containers over 100ml, reports the Express.
Aerosols for sports or household use, which contain non-flammable and non-toxic gases with ‘no subsidiary risk’ like nitrogen or carbon dioxide, are permitted in checked baggage that goes into the aircraft hold. However, there’s a stipulation: each passenger is limited to two kilos or two litres of aerosol, and the canisters must be equipped with protective caps or other measures to prevent accidental discharge.
In a cautionary tale for flyers, traveller Cody Stanley of the travel blogging duo @fortheplot was denied boarding on a flight in Peru due to an inadvertent mistake. She left her portable charger in her checked luggage and consequently wasn’t permitted on her Ecuador-bound flight, resulting in her best friend Ellie travelling solo.
Cody warned others about her oversight, saying: “I had a portable charger in my checked luggage and I didn’t realise it was in there, it’s not normally in there it’s normally in my little bag. But it’s my fault, I take responsibility, but I forgot.”
Due to regulations, she couldn’t retrieve the item and had to miss her flight, prompting her advice: “They wouldn’t let me get it out my bag and they wouldn’t let me get on my flight, so make sure you never, ever, ever put a portable charger in your checked baggage.”
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has issued a warning to passengers about the dangers of packing lithium batteries in checked luggage. According to the latest guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organisation, any baggage equipped with a lithium battery where the lithium content exceeds 0.3g or a Watt-hour rating of 2.7Wh for lithium-ion batteries, should not be packed in checked baggage.
The CAA advises that these items must be carried as hand luggage unless the battery is removed from the baggage, protected against short circuits and carried in the cabin. Passengers are also advised to check with their airline for any prohibited items for checked-in luggage.