Flying with lithium-ion batteries in scooter

[lklambert1]

Still confused. My Folding Travel Scooter, Buzz Around  GB 120  has a 360 Wh Lithium Ion Battery.  I called my airline and they said there would be no problem, the battery would just be checked with my scooter.   When I go to the TSA Website it says the battery must be 300 Wh or less?  

Has anyone had any such experience?  

Thank you

[happy42cruise]

It is confusing, we have an electric wheelchair & I needed to remove them & bring them into the cabin with us on our flight on AA.  Ours are easy to remove so it wasn't a problem & I had planned for that so I had room in a carryon for them.  You might state what model scooter it is for specific experiences with flying.  I'm not sure ours really needed to be removed as many reviews stated they just folded the chair & had it checked at the door - no battery removal needed.  Good luck, just have a backup plan if you need to remove them.

[casaloma]

We've probably flown ten times with our scooter and I swear to the Almighty that EVERY time there is some difference in the way airlines respond to us.  I will say that GENERALLY they want the battery left in the scooter.  There are a few times when the airline people get very agitated about the battery.  And even though we fill out the airline's forms every time, they always claim they've never seen or heard anything about it when we get to the airport.  And even though I tell them repeatedly I don't need a wheelchair at the gate (because I have a scooter...) most of the time there is a wheelchair and staff waiting for me.  Sometimes two.  

[mexico8]

I have flown numerous times with many different airlines and EVERY time I had to remove the lithion ion battery and put it in a special bag that came with my Travelscoot and bring it on the plane with me.  

 

You probably don't need a special bag but I am quite sure you will have to bring it on the plane with you and not leave it on the scooter.

[Dunchues]

On 9/4/2024 at 5:58 PM, lklambert1 said:

Still confused. My Folding Travel Scooter, Buzz Around  GB 120  has a 360 Wh Lithium Ion Battery.  I called my airline and they said there would be no problem, the battery would just be checked with my scooter.   When I go to the TSA Website it says the battery must be 300 Wh or less?  

Has anyone had any such experience?  

Thank you

 

I've always had to carry my batteries separately. I understood the limit was 300 too, mine are a little below that and apart from a few nuisance arguments I've been fine. I'd get your approval in writing personally, buy I'm not certain that would help much at the boarding gate if you got an awkward agent or captain. 

I know how expensive they are, but I think if you check the airlines policy online you'll bee looking for a smaller battery.

[gluecksbaer]

I also have a Buzz Around Carryon.  Golden sells an airline approved battery that comes with a carrying bag for in-flight.  It's 156Wh.  I ended up getting two of them so I can charge one and use one and still not have to worry about battery power on long days.  I only fly Southwest.  I feel like their form may have asked about the number of Watt hours, but no employee has ever looked at my batteries.  You could probably fly with the regular (larger) battery, but you always take the risk of someone deciding to check it and not being able to board your flight.

[Nilbog]

I've flown to/from several cruises with my scooter.  The only airline that asked about the Wh is IcelandAir.  I sent them the manufacturer's specs and they still e-mailed back asking for the Wh.  I had to look up how to calculate that figure.  Turns out I was within their limit, so no problem.  No other airline (Delta, United, AlaskaAir) has even asked the question.

[mlbcruiser]

My husband has a 50 lb Pride folding portable mobilty scooter. It uses a sealed lithium batteriy  l the battery must be in a sealed compartment. The airline wants to know in advance that you are bringing it along. It may be ridden up the jetway,  but when you get to the plane cabin door, you must turn it over to be stored in the cargo area. Or you can turn it over at the desk where the gate agent is and you can walk up the jetway onto the plane. However, YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT  leave a LITHIUM  battery in the scooter once it gets taken to the cargo hold!!!  You MUST remove it and take it into the plane's cabin with you.

 

My husband's scooter battery weighs 5 pounds. I remove it, and put it into what is actually a small nylon bag-type fabric cooler that has a little bit of padding. That way it's easier to bring on board. When we come off of the plane, the scooter is brought  to us on the jet way most of the time I unfold it and put the battery back in it. Some airports in some cities may deliver the scooter at the end of the jetway where you go into the terminal. That has only happened twice,  and it creates a bit of confusion.

 

The reason the lithium battery must be removed is because there have been fires in cargo holds from lithium batteries. I'm asduming if one caught on fire in a cabin overhead or stowed under a seat, they would know it quickly and it would get put out. If the lithium battery is sealed, I guess that is some protection but I can't really say for sure.

 

This is the rule for sure with regard to any mainstream major airline that allows scooters. The reason I say any mainstream airline that allows scooters is because Frontier Airlines does not. I doubt Spirit does. AmericanAirlines, Delta, United, Air France, British Airways, Southwest

& many other major airlines around the world, do allow them.  Usually those in a particular group that has deals to share frequent flyer miles and so on (like One World - American, British Airways, Air  Tahiti Nui, Iberia, and more) do, Although there are some models of airplanes of a smaller size on certain carriers (like Air Canada) that do not allow them. Maybe more (?), so it's always wise to call the accessibility number of the airline you are thinking of flying to make sure they take them.  

 

There are forms when you get to the gate that a gate agent will fill out and attach to your scooter. On that form they will want to know the specifics of the scooter: length width, height, weight what type of battery it has, and yes,  there is a certain voltage of wattage maximum but almost all travel scooters are within those bounds. There is a some way to convert to the "Wh" or whatever it is. You can look it up on the Internet or call the airline and tell them and they can usually look it up for you. I've done that with American Airlines a couple of times but now I keep a record of the number that they want to know. It's always good to call the airline in advance and some of them want to have all the information given to them over the phone but you likely will still have to have them fill out something at the gate.

 

My husband's entire scooter is one piece & about the size of a medium rolling suitcase when it is folded up. It weighs 50 pounds,  Nothing must be removed from it other than the battery. if one wants to bring a large heavy duty scooter that has to have handles or seats or whatever removed from it I don't know how that works other than if they are lithium battery powered, I'm sure they would not allow the battery portion into the cargo hold.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:08 AM by mlbcruiser