When travelling abroad, the long list of banned items on flights can be extremely confusing for many holidaymakers.
However, these is one specific rule that is commonly missed out, and could get you banned from flying if you do not follow it. The Daily Record reports that since coronavirus restrictions eased, many more people have been going abroad - and baggage reclaim has become a major issue.
Many holidaymakers have been left waiting hours for their bags, as staff struggle to keep up with demand. So, a lot of people have attached tracking devices to their luggage, including Apple AirTags.
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However, devices like this could mean your bag doesn't even make it onto the plane. Earlier this week, airline Lufthansa warned that it was "banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off."
This has brought about a furious response from flyers, and caused a U-turn from the German airline, who later told the Mirror that it had "conducted its own risk assessment with the result that tracking devices with very low battery and transmission power in checked luggage do not pose a safety risk."
Under current guidelines, tracking devices that contain lithium batteries, like the AirTags, should be taken on in the carry-on baggage rather than being put in the hold. Various other airlines such as TUI, easyJet and Ryanair have differing rules about smart luggage - and flyers should check these rules before setting off.
Heathrow Airport and the UK Department of Transport denied being responsible for setting the rules, while a spokesperson for the CAA said it just enforces ICAO Technical Instructions. According to the guidelines, luggage with location devices are only allowed in the hold if they are protected enough that they won't be accidentally damaged.
The tracking devices should also be turned off fully rather than placed in "sleep or hibernation mode". This rule means AirTags and other trackers are effectively banned from being checked-in on all commercial flights in the UK as they won't work without being turned on.
The reason for this rule is due to the fact that lithium batteries can cause issues on planes, as they have the potential to short circuit. This can cause extremely hot fires that cannot be extinguished.
It's for this reason that aviation authorities also have strict rules around smart bags, which have charging banks and locks powered by batteries. Also in the news recently was a journalist and podcaster, Pandora Sykes, who claimed that she was not allowed to board an easyJet flight with her smart bag.
They said: "Beware anyone being so foolish to fly easyJet - captain just refused to let us board our flights because our checked-in suitcases have USB ports (aka “smart bags”).
"EasyJet quietly changed their Ts&Cs a few weeks ago without telling their customers."
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