Air Travel

[noosaguy]

Can anyone shed some light on airlines attitude to travelling with Li batteries in their hand luggage.
My wife and i travel a lot and I'll want to carry my camera gear and M2P with 2 extra batteries with me in hand luggage.
Is that OK because I think I recall seeing a question about batteries?

 

[DanMan32]

You definitely have to have them on carry-on luggage; they cannot be on checked baggage. Shouldn't be an issue as they do have you remove batteries on checked smart-luggage to carry with you. To be extra cautious, put them in lipo bags.

 

[RayOZ]

Might depend on airline and country you are going to. I've travelled with my MP1 to NZ. At one point, the guy at the security screen was concerned about the battery. I'd shown them the batteries weren't fully charged. 1 LED flashing (<20%). I've flown within Australia and I didn't have any problems.
I'll do a bit of travelling next year, so hopefully I wont encounter any issues.

 

[noosaguy]

Shouldn't be an issue as they do have you remove batteries on checked smart-luggage to carry with you.

So I can't have the battery fitted into the M2P in my hand luggage?

To be extra cautious, put them in lipo bags.

Thanks dan what is a lipo bag?

 

[noosaguy]

Might depend on airline and country you are going to. I've travelled with my MP1 to NZ. At one point, the guy at the security screen was concerned about the battery. I'd shown them the batteries weren't fully charged. 1 LED flashing (<20%). I've flown within Australia and I didn't have any problems.
I'll do a bit of travelling next year, so hopefully I wont encounter any issues.

Holy cow, one of the main reasons I bought this thing is it's ability to fold down to easily be carried when travelling. It didn't occur to me that the batteries might be an issue until today.

 

[ssvdh66]

I flew to Europe in July with Emirates,I was forced to put my drone in the hold & my batteries in carryon.I had called the airline the day before & was told all needed to be in carryon.Aparently a passenger had decided the day before to fly his drone in economy mid flight.Check the day you fly with your airline

 

[flyingcolors53]

I traveled in October 2017 from the USA to Hawaii, on to Tahiti, then to Moorea with my P3P including 3 extra batteries, all carry-on luggage. I had no issues with TSA or any of the other countries security personnel. I always told the screeners as I was placing my bag on the scanner that I had a drone with extra batteries. They seemed to appreciate that, and often times asked me about my drone, what kind it was, how I liked it, etc. - all good friendly conversations. And I always had my extra batteries in a fireproof lipo bag I got from Amazon for just a few USD a piece. (Always carried one battery in the drone itself.). Flew on American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air Tahiti Nui. Lastly, I always depleted my batteries to less than 30 - 40% capacity / charge before I flew with them.

 

[noosaguy]

I flew to Europe in July with Emirates,I was forced to put my drone in the hold & my batteries in carryon.I had called the airline the day before & was told all needed to be in carryon.Aparently a passenger had decided the day before to fly his drone in economy mid flight.Check the day you fly with your airline

Thanks for that, we're travelling through the UK by car next June/July and wanted to take the M2P. What do you mean "forced to put the drone in the hold"?

 

[noosaguy]

I traveled in October 2017 from the USA to Hawaii, on to Tahiti, then to Moorea with my P3P including 3 extra batteries, all carry-on luggage. I had no issues with TSA or any of the other countries security personnel. I always told the screeners as I was placing my bag on the scanner that I had a drone with extra batteries. They seemed to appreciate that, and often times asked me about my drone, what kind it was, how I liked it, etc. - all good friendly conversations. And I always had my extra batteries in a fireproof lipo bag I got from Amazon for just a few USD a piece. (Always carried one battery in the drone itself.). Flew on American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air Tahiti Nui. Lastly, I always depleted my batteries to less than 30 - 40% capacity / charge before I flew with them.

I appreciate your post. We're flying Etihad to Manchester via Abu Dhabi and I'll use your advice. I've already ordered 2 LiPo bags and will partially deplete the batteries prior to flying.

 

[RayOZ]

I appreciate your post. We're flying Etihad to Manchester via Abu Dhabi and I'll use your advice. I've already ordered 2 LiPo bags and will partially deplete the batteries prior to flying.

Let me know how you go. I'll be flying to Copehagen with Etihad via Abu Dhabi in Feb 2019. I didn't bother with LiPo bag when I flew to NZ. I just had a tape over the battery terminals, with 1 battery install on the drone.

I flew to Europe in July with Emirates,I was forced to put my drone in the hold & my batteries in carryon.I had called the airline the day before & was told all needed to be in carryon.Aparently a passenger had decided the day before to fly his drone in economy mid flight.Check the day you fly with your airline

Man, who in the right mind think it was a good idea to operate a drone inside a plane mid-flight? Spinning props in close quarters, and creating radio interference inside the plane. Some people are so clueless and inconsiderate.

 

[DanMan32]

It was CHECKED smart-luggage that required the batteries removed and batteries carried on. That didn't apply to smart carry-on luggage.

 

[Meta4]

Can anyone shed some light on airlines attitude to travelling with Li batteries in their hand luggage.
My wife and i travel a lot and I'll want to carry my camera gear and M2P with 2 extra batteries with me in hand luggage.
Is that OK because I think I recall seeing a question about batteries?

There are no particular rules about the drone.
Carry it however works for you.
Lithium batteries are the issue and must be in your carry-on luggage.
All airlines have similar rules and you can check on their website by searching for LITHIUM.
Here's an example:
Dangerous Goods | Qantas
Etihad's is at the bottom of this page:
https://www.etihad.com/en-au/before-you-fly/baggage-information/baggage-guide/

If you ask on a forum you'll always get someone telling you to discharge the batteries and store in LiPo bags.
These myths seem to only be known on forums.
No airline or airport security check person will ever ask about either.
The X-ray people at the airport see drones every day of the week and won't even blink.

 

[Turn11]

Can anyone shed some light on airlines attitude to travelling with Li batteries in their hand luggage.
My wife and i travel a lot and I'll want to carry my camera gear and M2P with 2 extra batteries with me in hand luggage.
Is that OK because I think I recall seeing a question about batteries?

No restrictions I have heard of here in the States as long as they are in carry on luggage. I have a hard case for my MPP & M2P and they have enough frequent flier miles Southwest & Delta to get a free flight. Here is the TSA statement on drones in the USA. Note the last comment after the red triangle exclamation point.
I have only heard a couple of folks with restrictions, can't recall where but they weren't Australia.

 

[noosaguy]

Etihad's is at the bottom of this page:
https://www.etihad.com/en-au/before-you-fly/baggage-information/baggage-guide/

Thank you very much!

 

[gnirtS]

Can anyone shed some light on airlines attitude to travelling with Li batteries in their hand luggage.
My wife and i travel a lot and I'll want to carry my camera gear and M2P with 2 extra batteries with me in hand luggage.
Is that OK because I think I recall seeing a question about batteries?

Batteries must be carry on if Lithium and not fitted. Ideally terminals taped (although the mavic battery is fine as its not a naked battery).

*SOME* airlines (Emirates) have non sensical no-drone policy (but also they dont know whats in your bag so makes no difference).

Everywhere else no issue.
My Mavic 2 Pro has just completed its 7th airline flight this week with no issues at all. My old Mavic did something like 70 flights without issue in various regions.

You do NOT need a LiPo bag (aka snake oil). There's little to suggest they actually work and no airline in the world says to use them.

Security seized an Allen Key of mine (apparently you're allowed one but not 2 - i guess they think i'll slowly disassemble the aircraft in flight?) but had absolutely no interest in the drone, drone batteries, 8 camera batteries or anything else.