American Airlines Restricts Number of Portable Chargers

Flying American with a battery pack is about to get more complicated, CBS News reports. Starting Friday, American Airlines will cap passengers at two portable chargers each and require that they stay in sight or within arm's reach during the flight, not in overhead bins. The devices also can't be recharged on board and must be under 100 watt-hours apiece, the carrier told CBS News. The move follows a spike in lithium battery incidents: federal data shows nearly 100 problems last year involving batteries, mainly power banks and vape devices, and almost two dozen so far this year on commercial flights.

American said the rules are meant to balance in-flight charging with safety concerns by making sure crew and passengers can quickly access an overheating device and respond in the case of a fire, ABC News reports. The policy covers external power banks for phones and laptops, as well as luggage with built-in lithium-ion chargers. Southwest recently tightened its own stance, limiting travelers to a single battery pack. Delta will also be limiting customers to two portable chargers of not more than 100 watt-hours each, starting Friday.