05/21/2026
NEW POWER BANK RULES
If you travel with a phone, tablet - or frankly anything that needs charging - there’s a new rule you need to know before you board your next flight. Several major North American carriers are tightening restrictions on portable chargers, also known as power banks.
Starting May 1st, American Airlines is rolling out stricter rules on power banks due to growing safety concerns tied to lithium-ion battery fires. Passengers will now be limited to just two power banks, and each must be 100 watt-hours or less. But here’s the big change: those devices must be visible and within reach at all times during the flight. That means no tossing them into your carry-on in the overhead bin.
This isn’t just a minor tweak - it’s a fundamental shift in how airlines manage battery safety onboard. Power banks can still be used to charge your phone - but they cannot be recharged during the flight, even using seat power or USB ports. And they must stay somewhere accessible - like your seat pocket, tray table, or in your hand.
Why is this happening now? Well, the move comes after a spike in in-flight battery incidents. In fact, the FAA recorded 97 lithium battery-related events in 2025 alone, many involving portable chargers. When these batteries overheat, they can ignite quickly—and if they’re hidden in a bag, crews may not catch it in time.
And American Airlines isn’t alone here. Southwest Airlines has already gone even further - limiting passengers to just one power bank per person under similar size restrictions. Like American, Southwest also requires devices to stay accessible and out of overhead bins.
So airlines around the world have policies around power banks & industry experts say this could soon become the global standard, as airlines respond to increasing safety risks. So before your next trip, it’s worth doing a quick check of your carry-on - because that portable charger in your bag may now need to be in its own plastic ziptop bag and sitting with you on the plane.
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