what to know
- Empty the bag and unzip the lining to find the battery.
- Use a screwdriver to unscrew the casing, then disconnect the cables and remove the smart battery.
- If you're traveling with smart luggage, check your airline's policies before checking in or taking your luggage with you.
Smart luggage comes with a rechargeable battery pack that can charge your phone or laptop, and the bag can be locked via an app on your smartphone or tracked via GPS even if you can't see it. Some come with batteries powerful enough that you can ride them from door to door. But here's the thing. Although smart luggage is neat, you must know how to remove the smart luggage battery.
In 2018, the TSA and FAA issued new battery requirements that grounded many smart luggage.
A challenge many people find with smart luggage is that the battery is difficult to remove. While some smart bag manufacturers have begun producing easily removable batteries, others remain a challenge.
Pop-up batteries are increasingly popular and can be easily removed by pressing a button until the battery pops out of the slot that holds it in place. You can then store the disconnected battery inside the bag and reinsert it when landing.
The more difficult battery types all differ in small ways. Some batteries are more complicated than others, but general instructions for removing these batteries are as follows:
Empty the Smart Bag so that you have access to the lining of the bag.
Unzip the lining to find the battery pack. It is usually located on the top or bottom of the bag.
Use a screwdriver (sometimes provided with luggage) to unscrew the casing that holds the battery.
Disconnect the battery by pulling the battery cable away from the connection. You can then pack your luggage and store the battery inside your bag (if you plan to take it on a plane).
Do you see the problem here? These types of packages have batteries that are difficult to access.
The smart bag needs to be empty or nearly empty to access and remove the battery pack.
The battery pack then needs to be stored in your carry-on luggage, and while you can replace the battery pack after landing, you'll have to follow the same steps again. Remove the contents of the suitcase, open the battery compartment and replace the batteries.
It's hard to do this in the middle of an airport.
The FAA's battery requirements clearly state that lithium-ion batteries of any type cannot be checked into the cargo hold of an aircraft.
This means your smart bag cannot be placed on the belly of the plane with all your other luggage. No problem, you'll keep going, right? There are some problems with this theory.
First, many airlines are no longer willing to let you have a connected battery, even in the cabin, given the issues airlines have had with battery fires in products like e-cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and smartphones.
The second problem is that these days, you never know when your cabin locker will be full before you can find a place to store your carry-on, which means it could end up being checked at the gate , or being checked on board the plane. Take it away. aircraft and stored in the cargo hold of the aircraft.
Another problem is that not all airlines treat smart luggage the same way.
For example:
- American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines allow you to attach the battery in a smart bag, just take it on board and store it in the cabin. If you have to check your luggage at the gate, the battery must be removed and stored in the cabin.
- Delta and United require batteries to be removed, even if luggage is stowed in the cabin.
If you plan to travel with a smart bag, be sure to call all airlines on your flight to find out their requirements before trying to check a bag or carry it on.
For your smart luggage, this means you have to be able to remove the battery from your bag before getting on the plane. Batteries can be stored in checked baggage. Just can't connect.
Realizing that new battery rules will render some smart bags useless, some manufacturers, like Away, which makes some of the most popular smart luggage on the market, are working to simplify the process.
For example, Away now offers a free conversion or conversion kit to Away Smart Bag owners who have older bags. The company will update your Smart Pack battery for free or send you a replacement kit that you can update yourself so you have a pop-up battery.
Some manufacturers, such as Bluesmart, have not been immune to changes in battery requirements. But other smart luggage companies have sprung up to replace them, so there are plenty of options for smart luggage with different features.
As long as you understand the requirements (the smart bag's battery must be removable, and you may need to remove it before boarding) and know how to remove and store the battery, your smart bag may still be useful.
