Update me on the battery rules!

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kmarks

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I'm getting ready for my first flight into Cozumel in 4 years and it seems like the rules on which bag batteries go into at the airport have flipped and flopped about four times since then. I plan to bring at least two cameras with me and a back up battery for each of them. In the past, departing from either the US or Cozumel, batteries currently held within the camera are perfectly fine in my carry on (and my cameras will always be carried on), but there is a difference in batteries that are not in the camera: US airports have always required them in the carry on, but leaving Cozumel they needed to be in checked luggage.

A thread from last summer makes it look like Lithium batteries (like the ones for my cameras) are now required to be in carried on bags, but other batteries are required to be in checked bags. I plan to also bring a small flashlight, but the batteries for that will be inside it, so I think that means I carry it on all flights.

What about a portable backup battery for my phone? You know, the little USB kind that isn't really just a battery?

Any updates on the rules? How do I make sure I come home with all of my batteries?
 
The rules are that it's Mexico and even if the rules are well defined, it's still Mexico and up for interpretation. I just always throw all of my batteries in my checked bag and forget about it. They always make it home. The times that I've forgotten some in my carry on, they never make a stink about it. Meanwhile the person right behind me could have a very different experience. I find it the endearing part of going to Mexico lol.
 
I cannot speak to additional rules that Mexico may have, but as an employee of Southwest, I can say tha lithium batteries should be carry on only.

There is a concern of lithium batteries catching fire. That could be disastrous in the hold of the aircraft.
 
On the way TO Mexico you put your batteries in a carry-on. I put each one in a ziploc and then put all the ziplocks into a plastic case in my carryon.

On your way FROM mexico you put your batteries into the security guy's pocket. :wink: Seriously, the only time I've had them take batteries is if the batteries are new and in the retail packaging still. If the batteries are open/used then they have not given me a hard time.
 
I cannot speak to additional rules that Mexico may have, but as an employee of Southwest, I can say tha lithium batteries should be carry on only.

There is a concern of lithium batteries catching fire. That could be disastrous in the hold of the aircraft.
But Mexican rules state that they're to be checked? So what is one to do? The rules are reversed for each leg of the trip.
 
Battery issues have only come when they are not in either the device or a proper case on the way out of Mexico. Loose batteries in ziplocs were taken from the carry on (NiCad in this case). Li-ion weren't questioned that were in computers, strobes, and travel cases that were part of the carry-on
 
Since it is a safety issue on board the aircraft, I’d go with airline rules. I’ve carried on my batteries for the past 4 years. No issues.
 
Since it is a safety issue on board the aircraft, I’d go with airline rules. I’ve carried on my batteries for the past 4 years. No issues.
I'd love to go with the airline rules, but unfortunately American Airlines has very little jurisdiction over the Mexican version of the TSA. In the past, I have not had spare batteries, but this time I do and I have seen conflicting reports of what gets taked and when/where. I guess I'll just have to have the batteries in hand and ask while I'm checking my bag.
 
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Again, the only issue I had was with having loose in a bag at emigration. Batteries that were in their device (strobes, computer, dive lights) or were in their travel cases (strobe batteries) were not an issue for either checked or carry-on. I had my spare laptop battery and USB phone charging brick in my laptop bag and they weren't questioned. The 8 D-cells for the light canon were taken since they were loose. If they had been in the light there wouldn't have been an issue.
 
I carry my LED light batteries in plastic holders. No problem worldwide.

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