Travelers looking to use their fancy new smart luggage may soon face a hard time getting the bags on a plane due to safety concerns about their batteries. According to CNN, American, Delta and Alaska Airlines
have all announced that starting January 15th, passengers checking
smart luggage will have to remove the lithium-ion batteries (or keep
them powered down if traveling in the cabin). The site also says that
United Continental and Southwest Airlines both plan to announce similar
policies soon. That's 80 percent of the US air traffic, according to CNN.
The report also
mentions Bluesmart, a smart bag maker that says it's compliant with
current regulations, but whose lithium batteries cannot be removed. "We
are saddened by these latest changes to some airline regulations and
feel it is a step back not only for travel technology, but that it also
presents an obstacle to streamlining and improving the way we all
travel," the company said in a statement given to CNN. Safety around lithium-ion batteries has been a topic of concern lately, with the FAA recently proposing a ban on laptops in checked baggage. Researchers continue to try and find safer alternatives, though none have come to market just yet.
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