Lufthansa and SWISS Change Power Bank Rules What Every Traveler Must Know Now

Lufthansa and SWISS Change Power Bank Rules What Every Traveler Must Know Now - Essential Capacity and Storage Rules for Portable Chargers

Look, the biggest headache with these new airline restrictions isn't the ban on *using* the power bank—it's figuring out the actual capacity limits before you even leave home. We're talking about Watt-hours (Wh), not milliamp-hours (mAh), which is the number printed huge on the box, and that's where people often trip up. Right now, the global standard is pretty firm: you can generally carry power banks up to 100 Wh in your carry-on luggage, no questions asked, but they must always be carried on. And that brings us to the storage rule: these things absolutely cannot go into checked baggage, ever, because the fire risk from a thermal runaway event is just too high back there in the cargo hold. Think about it this way: 100 Wh is roughly equivalent to a hefty 27,000 mAh battery, assuming a standard 3.7V cell voltage—but honestly, you need to check the Wh label specifically, or quickly calculate it if only mAh is listed. Now, you might have one of those massive bricks, maybe up to 160 Wh; some carriers, including Lufthansa and its partners, allow these *only* with prior airline approval, which is a bureaucratic nightmare. But trying to get pre-approval for a power bank feels like trying to win the lottery, so I'd really recommend sticking firmly to that 100 Wh ceiling just to eliminate friction at the gate. The whole purpose of this hyper-specific regulation is containment—if a lithium cell thermal-runs away, we need cabin crew to be able to deal with it immediately. That means the capacity needs to be clearly marked; if the Wh rating is rubbed off or obscured, security agents are trained to consider it prohibited, full stop. You know that moment when you're rushing to check your bag? Just remember: portable chargers are essentially tiny bombs, so they need to travel with you, right under your seat or in the overhead bin. We need to pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that this isn't just a Lufthansa quirk; this is rapidly becoming the industry norm across every major carrier. So, before packing, look for the Wh number, keep it under 100, and carry it onto the plane—that's the simple playbook for smooth sailing.