What happens if you forget a laptop battery in your checked luggage? (in Europe) [closed]

What happens if you forget a laptop battery in your checked luggage? (in Europe) [closed] - Black and White Laptop

Let's say you buy a spare battery for your laptop and forget to put it in your carry-on (as per IATA rules). What happens next? Some possible scenarios:

  • The airlines tend to ignore that regulation and don't bother checking for batteries
  • The airline will open your bag, take out the battery, and leave a 'sorry' note
  • The airline will pull you off the flight and force you to take out the battery

The question is inspired by a real-life scenario where I've remembered about the batteries regulation a few seconds before checking in my luggage.

luggageeuropeairport-securitybatteries


Best Answer

Let's say you buy a spare battery for your laptop and forget to put it in your carry-on (as per IATA rules). What happens next?

"Do nothing" happens.

Remove battery happens.
Fine or prosecution MAY happen.

Take you off plane is less likely than take bag off plane, leave you on. |

Despite @JonathanReez's comment, the risk from checked batteries is real. It's relatively small - but higher than never having a cargo hold fire.

I had a sealed lead acid (motorcycle) battery that I took legally as carry-on on a NZ domestic flight. It was stupidly and improperly rejected by checkin.
I hid it in an airport garden and it was collected by someone else in due course.

They subsequently carried it as check-in luggage on the same route.
I gave them the correct IATA magic words and exemption codes to write on the wrapper - as required by the rules.
The battery arrived OK BUT it was evident that it had been checked during transit. Presumably it would have been removed if it had not met rules.
IATA code must be good juju :-).



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What happens if you leave a battery in checked luggage?

A: The bags are scanned for security, not specifically for lithium batteries. If you leave a lithium battery in your bag it will travel with you. It is safer for the battery to be in the cabin so that if a thermal runaway occurs the cabin crew can deal with it.

Can you leave a laptop in a checked bag?

Most consumer personal electronic devices containing batteries are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage, including but not limited to cell phones, smart phones, data loggers, PDAs , electronic games, tablets, laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, watches, calculators, etc.


Why are batteries not allowed in checked luggage?



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