Cozumel Airport forbidden items

[gopbroek]

USA rules = No loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.
Mexico rules = No loose batteries in carry on (they do not seem to differentiate between types)

You need to follow the rules where you are boarding, not where you are going. If you have to recheck your bags after clearing customs the battery location needs to conform, again, to where you are reboarding.

Example, loose batteries of any type starting in Mexico going through DFW and reboarding to where ever: Batteries go in check bag in Mexico, upon clearing customs swap batteries from checked bag to carry on (only should need to swap lithium batteries but other types may get removed by TSA in error) prior to re-checking bags to thier end destination. If you are only traveling with a carry on for speed or to avoid bag fees, be prepared to lose extra loose batteies on the way back out of Mexico, sometimes a screener may miss or overlook it but do not bet on it.

 

[JamesBon92007]

USA rules = No loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.
Mexico rules = No loose batteries in carry on (they do not seem to differentiate between types)

You need to follow the rules where you are boarding, not where you are going. If you have to recheck your bags after clearing customs the battery location needs to conform, again, to where you are reboarding.

Example, loose batteries of any type starting in Mexico going through DFW and reboarding to where ever: Batteries go in check bag in Mexico, upon clearing customs swap batteries from checked bag to carry on (only should need to swap lithium batteries but other types may get removed by TSA in error) prior to re-checking bags to thier end destination. If you are only traveling with a carry on for speed or to avoid bag fees, be prepared to lose extra loose batteies on the way back out of Mexico, sometimes a screener may miss or overlook it but do not bet on it.

I made it through Ontario, Denver, and Cancun with a loose 900mA camera battery. I was basically testing them. It was just thrown into a sandwich-sized zip-lock baggie along with some camera filters. Here and there they tested both my backpack and carry-on for dangerous residues and questioned me about what kind of liquid was in my depth gauge (on the console) and why it needed to be liquid-filled, patted me down because I forgot to remove my bluetooth headphones from around my neck, poked around in my luggage, but nobody said anything about my loose li-ion battery or my extra AA batteries. Of course this was not the Cozumel airport so it's not conclusive.

 

[gopbroek]

I made it through Ontario, Denver, and Cancun with a loose 900mA camera battery. I was basically testing them. It was just thrown into a sandwich-sized zip-lock baggie along with some camera filters. Here and there they tested both my backpack and carry-on for dangerous residues and questioned me about what kind of liquid was in my depth gauge (on the console) and why it needed to be liquid-filled, patted me down because I forgot to remove my bluetooth headphones from around my neck, poked around in my luggage, but nobody said anything about my loose li-ion battery or my extra AA batteries. Of course this was not the Cozumel airport so it's not conclusive.

Lucky you. The no loose battery rule has been around for many years now across Mexico. I have seen the same signs in CZM, CUN, QRO, PLB, SLP, AGU, CUU and TRC. Now how well the rule is enforced is like most rules and laws in Mexico, it varies from place to place and day to day. Most airport workers are contract employees who real want to keep their jobs so overall I see the level of rule compliance higher at airports in Mexico than the USA. If you are carrying cheap throw away batteries go ahead and try it but I would not risk expensive batteries.

 

[simcoediver]

My dive buddy got his batteries confiscated from his carry on at Cozumel airport just yesterday. So put all batteries in your checked luggage. I put mine in checked and mine went thru just fine.

 

[Streydog]

I had seen the rules but never really thought about Gopro batteries. I have always had 2 or 3 extra batteries in my carry on on the way back and never had them checked. Maybe the shape of the batteries is not something they are looking for. I guess to keep from losing them I need to remember to pack them in my checked bag.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I made it through Ontario, Denver, and Cancun with a loose 900mA camera battery. I was basically testing them. It was just thrown into a sandwich-sized zip-lock baggie along with some camera filters. Here and there they tested both my backpack and carry-on for dangerous residues and questioned me about what kind of liquid was in my depth gauge (on the console) and why it needed to be liquid-filled, patted me down because I forgot to remove my bluetooth headphones from around my neck, poked around in my luggage, but nobody said anything about my loose li-ion battery or my extra AA batteries. Of course this was not the Cozumel airport so it's not conclusive.

I was not "testing" the system just to be a jerk about it or any such nonsense, the problem is that I never do checked bags so I can't just switch the battery (or batteries) from the carry-on for the US to the checked bag for Mexico. I suppose the solution might be just to bring an extra camera and I just happen to have a Chinese POS imitation SJ4000 that uses the same battery as my SJ7000. If I understand the rules correctly that should be OK in my carry-on in either country. Does that sound right? According to what gopbroek stated it's OK to land in Mexico with a battery in your carry-on but you can't take off from Mexico with it in carry-on. I guess that works as long as you are doing a checked bag. I just got stuck in Denver for two days and it took another 2-3 days to determine which state my girlfriend's checked bags were in and get them delivered. In a situation where someone's luggage was on another plane they would not be able to switch it to the carry-on after landing in say, Denver, to change planes so they would not be in compliance in the US because the luggage would be boarding a plane in the US. Normally you claim and re-check your luggage when switching planes on an international flight but sometimes the luggage is somewhere else. I have no doubt that TSA would confiscate a spare battery if they discovered it in a checked-bag that was attempting to board a domestic flight without it's passenger. I do not know what their policy might be under these circumstances but I would not be surprised if they just kept the luggage and possibly even revoked the owner's TSA Pre-Select status or something along those lines. Now I'm wondering if they would even put your luggage on another plane if you are not there to claim it and re-check it. Anyone know if you are required to stay at the airport (and miss your flight) until your luggage arrives on another plane? Will the airline do it for you if you get on your connecting flight?

 

[cvchief]

I had a brand new pack of enloops in the original pack unopened in my carry on. I forget to get them out in Coz as my flash died. Sure as heck, when I hit CZM for my Mayair flight, security took them.

I have taken them in the carry on in a flash or something without issue.

 

[KeithG]

So "loose" batteries are the problem. Even if they are in original packaging.

Can anyone think of a small and extremely cheap children's toy or gizmo that takes AA's?

Use the toy / gizmo as the battery carrying case.

 

[flyboy08]

I carry on my gopro case with 3 spares and charger. Never an issue?

 

[gstrek]

So "loose" batteries are the problem. Even if they are in original packaging.

Can anyone think of a small and extremely cheap children's toy or gizmo that takes AA's?

Use the toy / gizmo as the battery carrying case.

What about a couple of old flashlights that take AA batteries?

My problem is how to handle spare, loose Li-on camera batteries. The Cozumel check-in agent was very specific (and is what prompted my initial post for this thread): AA batteries (in battery case) go into check on luggage; four loose camera batteries go in the carry-ons.