5 articles that you cannot carry in your checked baggage when traveling to the United States
This series of products are prohibited due to the risks they may pose on the plane in the United States
More information: What to do if detained at a United States airport by immigration agents?
The checked or documented baggage is not only characterized, thanks to its large size, by safeguarding a large number of garments and items for longer stays or trips. It also has the particularity of transporting all those objects that the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) prohibits in carry-on baggage or in the personal item that travelers can bring into the airplane cabin.
However, and according to the same TSA, the capacity of this baggage to safeguard a large number of objects does not exempt the prohibition of various items in this type of suitcases:
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Smartphones
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Laptops
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Cameras
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Smartwatches
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Lithium batteries of response
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Electronic smoking devices
It is important to note that despite the aforementioned prohibition, these products can be carried but in carry-on baggage or within the traveler's personal item in the cabin.
Why can't these products be transported in checked baggage?
According to the TSA, these items are strictly prohibited from being transported in checked baggage for a particular reason: the presence of lithium batteries in them.
According to a recent report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), lithium batteries caused a 388% increase in incidents related to fires in airports.
The above would be due to the fact that when they suffer any impact, scratch, crushing, among other similar actions, they begin to heat up and produce what is known as “thermal runaway”. This effect can cause, in most cases, an explosion of the batteries due to overpressure, causing fire and other damages.
In view of this type of reaction, the TSA has determined that suitcases or baggage stored in the cargo hold should not have this type of batteries as they are at risk of damage due to the constant movement of the luggage. Similarly, and because there is no personnel in this area, smoke or possible fire cannot be determined or identified.
In addition to all the above, the passenger cabin and the baggage hold are separated, so there is no possibility for someone to mitigate the fire.
These types of actions have led various airlines to consider new security regulations such as limiting the number of devices with lithium batteries, among others.
*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence
