Like competitors Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, Alaska Airlines also plans to impose restrictions on so-called “smart bags” or “smart luggage” in early 2018.
As of Jan. 15, bags equipped with a lithium battery or lithium battery power bank will only be accepted as carry-on baggage if it is possible to remove the battery from the bag if needed, Alaska said. If the bag is to fly as checked baggage, the battery must be removed and carried in the passenger cabin. “If it’s not possible to remove the battery from the bag, the bag won’t be allowed on the plane,” the carrier said in a message posted on its website.
American and Delta also have announced similar restrictions, and other carriers are expected to do so as well. Alaska said its new policy follows the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) general rules regarding lithium ion batteries and also the growing concern of the airline industry “around these batteries in our cargo areas.”
FAA…
