Your suitcase has just disappeared down the belt. You're halfway through a coffee when your name comes over the tannoy. Somewhere in a side pocket sits a power bank you forgot about.
That small slip can cost you more than a charger. The bag may be opened, the item binned and the suitcase held back while your gate closes. On a tight connection, it can mean landing without your luggage at all.
At Gyro, we deal with the aftermath of travel days that go wrong, from late suitcases to diverted flights. Many hold baggage problems start with a packing list nobody checked. The rules are clear once you know where they come from. When the disruption is the airline's doing, you also keep enforceable rights. We make claiming them effortless.
Below is the full 2026 list, the packing limits and what you're owed when things go wrong anyway.
What items are not allowed in checked luggage in 2026?
Two separate rulebooks decide what can go in the hold. The first is aviation security, which targets weapons and anything that could bring down an aircraft. The second is dangerous goods safety. It covers everyday items that can leak, ignite or explode under changing pressure.
In the EU, the security list for hold baggage is surprisingly short. Attachment 5-B of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1998 bans only explosive and incendiary substances and devices. Think fireworks, detonators, smoke canisters and gunpowder. Almost everything else on the banned list comes from international dangerous goods rules set by ICAO.
The US works the same way. The FAA's PackSafe guidance says most dangerous goods are forbidden in both carry-on and checked bags. The exceptions are narrow and cover toiletries, medicines and assistive devices. TSA security rules then sit on top of those safety rules.
That split explains the strangest part of the list. Some items are too risky for the hold yet perfectly fine in the cabin. The logic is simple. If a battery catches fire at 35,000 feet, the crew can only fight it if they can reach it.
| Item | Checked bag | Hand luggage | Main condition |
| Power banks and spare lithium batteries | Banned | Allowed | Two power banks maximum; 101-160 Wh needs airline approval |
| E-cigarettes and vapes | Banned | Allowed | No use or charging on board |
| Lighters | Banned outside the US | One, on your person | US allows two in a DOT-approved case in checked bags |
| Safety matches | Banned | One small packet, on your person | Strike-anywhere matches banned everywhere |
| Smart bags with fixed batteries over 2.7 Wh | Banned | Banned | Removable batteries must come out and fly in the cabin |
| Fireworks, sparklers and flares | Banned | Banned | No exceptions |
| Camping gas, lighter fluid and fuel | Banned | Banned | Buy at your destination |
| Spirits over 70% ABV | Banned | Banned | Includes 151-proof rum and grain alcohol |
| Spray paint and flammable non-toiletry aerosols | Banned | Banned | Toiletry aerosols allowed within limits |
| Bleach, pool chlorine, acids and poisons | Banned | Banned | Includes car body repair kits |
| Pepper spray and self-defence sprays | Banned outside the US | Banned | US allows one 118 ml can with a safety lock in checked bags |
Airlines can always set stricter rules than the regulators. Check your carrier's dangerous goods page before you pack, especially on Asian and Middle Eastern airlines.
In our experience, the bags held back at check-in rarely contain anything exotic. The usual culprit is a forgotten power bank in a side pocket or a vape tucked into a washbag. Those two items cause more avoidable baggage headaches than fireworks ever will.
Why are power banks and spare lithium batteries banned from checked luggage?
Lithium batteries can tip into thermal runaway, a chain reaction of heat that feeds on itself. In the cabin, crew have containment bags and extinguishers within reach. In the hold, a fire can burn unseen until it is far too late.
The numbers explain the caution. The FAA's lithium battery incident log showed 58 verified incidents on US aircraft by mid-August 2026. In January 2025, an Air Busan jet was destroyed by a fire that interim findings linked to a power bank. All 176 people on board got out safely.
So the rule is firm. The FAA prohibits spare lithium batteries, portable chargers, e-cigarettes and vapes in checked baggage. The same applies when your cabin bag is gate-checked. Pull every battery out before you hand it over.
The rules tightened again in 2026. On 27 March, ICAO approved new power bank limits for international flights:
- No more than two power banks per passenger, whatever their size
- No recharging a power bank from the aircraft's sockets or USB ports
- A recommendation not to use a power bank to charge other devices in flight
The watt-hour limits haven't changed. Power banks up to 100 Wh travel freely in the cabin. Between 101 and 160 Wh, you need airline approval. Anything above 160 Wh can't fly as baggage at all.
Some airlines go further still. Emirates has banned using power banks on board since 1 October 2025. Lufthansa Group introduced a similar group-wide ban in January 2026.
Can you pack a laptop, phone or tablet in checked luggage?
Usually yes. It's still a poor idea. Devices with batteries installed are generally allowed in the hold if they're switched completely off and protected from damage. UK government guidance lists phones, laptops and tablets as allowed in both hand and hold luggage.
Regulators still prefer them in the cabin. The FAA says phones, tablets, cameras and laptops should travel in accessible carry-on bags. Damaged, defective or recalled batteries can't fly in either bag.
Practical reasons point the same way. A laptop in a suitcase is easier to crack, easier to steal and harder to replace mid-trip.
Are smart suitcases with built-in batteries allowed as checked baggage?
Only if the battery comes out. A smart bag with a removable battery can be checked once the battery comes out and travels in the cabin. If the battery is fixed and exceeds 2.7 Wh, or 0.3 g of lithium metal, the bag is refused outright.
Luggage trackers are the question we hear most often here. The FAA has confirmed that trackers whose cells hold 0.3 g of lithium or less can go in checked bags. An Apple AirTag contains about 0.1 g. It qualifies easily.
We'd encourage you to use one. A tracker won't stop a bag going astray. Its location history is still powerful evidence when the airline's own tracing system draws a blank.
Can you pack lighters, matches or e-cigarettes in checked luggage?
Not in the UK or EU. International dangerous goods rules allow one small lighter or one small packet of safety matches, carried on your person only. The UK government's guidance says that lighter must sit in a resealable bag that stays on you all flight. It can't go in your hold luggage at all.
The US is a little looser. The TSA lets you pack up to two fuelled lighters in checked bags, but only inside a DOT-approved case. Lighters emptied of all fuel and vapour can go in checked bags too. Torch lighters, the jet-flame kind used for cigars, are banned everywhere. All matches are banned from US checked bags.
E-cigarettes follow the battery logic. They're banned from the hold everywhere and allowed only in hand luggage. Once on board, you can't use or recharge them.
The return leg is where this trips people up. A traveller who checks a cased lighter in Miami can't do the same leaving London. We see this pattern with every rule that differs by country. Passengers pack for the outbound airport and forget about the inbound one.
Did you know?
By mid-August 2026, the FAA had already verified 58 lithium battery incidents involving smoke, fire or extreme heat on US aircraft. Portable chargers account for roughly two in every five such incidents logged since 2006. That is why your power bank has to fly within reach of the cabin crew, never in the hold.
Which flammable, explosive and chemical items are banned from checked luggage?
This is the longest part of the list. It's also the part most people never consider, because these items live under the sink or in the garage.
All of the following are banned from both checked and hand luggage:
- Explosives and pyrotechnics: fireworks, sparklers, flares, smoke canisters, detonators and gunpowder
- Flammable gases and liquids: camping gas cartridges, butane refills, lighter fluid, petrol, paint thinner and flammable paint
- Oxidisers and organic peroxides: bleach, pool chlorine and car body repair kits
- Corrosives: acids, alkalis, mercury and spillable "wet" batteries
- Poisons and biological hazards: rat poison, other toxic substances and infectious samples
- Other hazards: fire extinguishers, radioactive material and spirits above 70% ABV
Self-defence sprays split opinion. The UK bans pepper spray and mace in hand and hold luggage alike. The TSA, by contrast, allows one container of up to 118 ml in checked bags, fitted with a safety mechanism. Sprays with more than 2% tear gas are banned. Your airline can still say no.
Firearms and ammunition are a special case. They can never go in hand luggage. Some airlines carry them in the hold, but only with advance approval, a declaration at check-in and strict packing. Treat them as banned unless your airline confirms otherwise in writing.
From the claims we handle, camping and outdoor trips are the classic trap. A gas cartridge left in a rucksack can get the whole bag pulled. Buy fuel, gas and sprays at your destination. It costs a few euros and keeps your bag on the plane.
How much alcohol, aerosol spray and dry ice can you pack in checked luggage?
Some dangerous goods are welcome in the hold, provided you stay within the limits. These come from the ICAO Technical Instructions, which airlines apply through IATA's Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Alcohol is the one people most often get wrong. Beer and wine at 24% ABV or less aren't restricted as dangerous goods. Spirits between 24% and 70% are allowed up to 5 litres per person, in retail packaging. Anything stronger, like 151-proof rum, can't fly at all.
Aerosols fall into two groups. Toiletries and medicines, such as hairspray, deodorant and perfume, are allowed. So are non-flammable sports and household aerosols, which may travel in the hold only. Each item is capped at 0.5 kg or 0.5 litres, within a 2 kg or 2 litre total per person. Caps must stay on to prevent accidental release.
Dry ice for perishables is allowed up to 2.5 kg per person with airline approval. The packaging must let the gas escape. A checked bag carrying dry ice must be marked "dry ice" with the net weight.
| Item | Limit per item | Limit per person | Airline approval |
| Spirits, 24% to 70% ABV | 5 litres | 5 litres | Not required |
| Beer and wine, 24% ABV or less | No safety limit | No safety limit | Not required |
| Toiletry and medicinal aerosols | 0.5 kg or 0.5 litres | 2 kg or 2 litres in total | Not required |
| Dry ice for perishables | Not applicable | 2.5 kg | Required |
| Self-defence spray (US only) | 118 ml | One container | Check your airline |
| Fuelled lighters (US only) | DOT-approved case | Two | Check your airline |
These are safety limits, not customs allowances. You can legally carry 5 litres of gin in the hold and still owe duty when you land.
One habit saves a lot of grief: wrap your bottles. If your own bottle breaks and soaks your clothes, airlines often cite the Montreal Convention's inherent-defect exception to avoid paying. Damage from rough handling is claimable. Damage from your own leaking shampoo rarely is.
Can airlines refuse liability for valuables packed in checked luggage?
Not on international journeys, whatever their conditions of carriage say. Many airlines tell you not to pack cash, jewellery, electronics or medication in checked bags. Some go further and claim they won't pay if those items go missing.
The Montreal Convention says otherwise. Article 17 makes the airline liable for checked baggage while it's in the airline's charge. The only carve-out is damage caused by an inherent defect in the bag or its contents. Article 26 then voids any contract term that relieves the airline of liability or sets a lower limit.
This isn't theory. The US DOT has issued enforcement orders against Air France, Emirates and Jetstar over blanket exclusions like these.
There is a ceiling, though. On international trips, liability for all your baggage is capped at 1,519 SDR per passenger. Our guide to the Montreal Convention's liability limits explains how that cap works. On US domestic flights, 14 CFR Part 254 bars airlines from limiting liability below $4,700 per passenger.
You can lift the cap. Article 22(2) lets you make a special declaration of interest at check-in, usually for a fee. Few passengers ever do. For a camera bag worth more than the cap, it's the only route to full recovery.
Even so, keep essentials with you. Medication, passports, keys and anything irreplaceable belong in your hand luggage. Compensation can replace a laptop. It can't get you through immigration without a passport.
The valuables claims we see succeed share one thing: proof. Photos of the packed bag, receipts and serial numbers turn an argument into a payout. Without them, even a valid claim tends to stall.
What happens if airport security finds a banned item in your checked bag?
It depends on where you're flying from. In the US, the TSA screens every checked bag. If officers need to look inside, they open it, remove anything prohibited and leave a notice of inspection.
At many UK and European airports, you may be called back to open the bag yourself. Sometimes the bag is simply held and misses the flight. Either way, three outcomes are common:
- The item is removed and destroyed, with no compensation
- The bag travels on a later flight and arrives after you do
- In serious cases, the regulator opens an enforcement case
Fines are real. In the US, the ceiling for one hazardous materials violation now tops $100,000, per the FAA's inflation-adjusted penalty table. That figure is reserved for serious breaches. Still, the FAA treats undeclared dangerous goods as a safety violation, not a packing quirk.
What about the bag itself? If your suitcase arrives late because of a legitimate search for something you packed, the airline has a strong defence. Article 20 of the Montreal Convention lets it cut or escape liability where your own negligence contributed to the loss.
A clean bag that misses the flight is a different matter. That's a standard mishandled bag. You can claim what airlines owe you for a delayed suitcase in full. On US flights, 14 CFR Part 260 also refunds your checked bag fee once a reported bag runs significantly late.
If something vanished or broke during a TSA search, that's a separate claim. You can file it with the TSA under the Federal Tort Claims Act, within two years.
| Situation | Rule | What you can claim |
| International trip: bag lost, damaged or delayed | Montreal Convention, Articles 17 and 22 | Proven losses up to 1,519 SDR per passenger |
| US domestic trip: bag lost, damaged or delayed | 14 CFR Part 254 | Proven losses, with liability of at least $4,700 per passenger |
| US domestic itinerary: bag more than 12 hours late | 14 CFR Part 260 | Refund of the checked bag fee |
| US international itinerary: bag more than 15 or 30 hours late | 14 CFR Part 260 | Refund of the checked bag fee |
| Item lost or damaged during a TSA search | Federal Tort Claims Act | Claim to the TSA within two years |
| Bag held because it contained a banned item | Montreal Convention, Article 20 | Airline can reduce or refuse liability |
The 15-hour threshold applies when the non-stop international segment lasts 12 hours or less. The 30-hour threshold applies to longer segments. In every case, you must file a mishandled baggage report.
Two habits make these claims far easier. First, look for a notice of inspection before you file anything, because it tells you who opened the bag. Second, file a Property Irregularity Report at the baggage desk before you leave the airport. In our claims work, that reference number is the single most useful document a passenger can hold.
Is a battery fire on board an extraordinary circumstance under EC 261?
Sometimes, but the airline has to prove it. Lithium battery fires now trigger diversions and emergency landings every year. When one hits your flight, you'll probably hear that compensation isn't due because the fire was outside the airline's control.
The closest guide from the Court of Justice is its 2020 ruling in Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (C-74/19). It held that an unruly passenger forcing a diversion can sometimes count as an extraordinary circumstance under EC 261. It also required the airline to reroute passengers as soon as reasonably possible, on other carriers if need be.
A battery fire looks similar on paper. It starts with a passenger's device, not the airline's aircraft. Even so, several questions still decide your claim:
- Did the airline take every reasonable step to get you moving again quickly?
- Did it offer seats on other airlines, or simply wait for its own next flight?
- If the fire hit an earlier flight, did it genuinely cause your delay?
Your right to care never disappears. Meals, refreshments and a hotel room where needed are owed under EC 261 even when compensation isn't. If the airline's defence fails, an arrival delay of 3+ hours is worth €250 to €600, depending on distance.
When we challenge a "safety incident" refusal, our first step is simple. We ask the airline to name the incident and the flight it happened on. Vague explanations are common. Specific ones are rarer. The burden of proof sits with the airline, not you.
How should you pack your checked bag to avoid a security search in 2026?
A five-minute check at home prevents most problems at the airport:
- Empty every side pocket, then move batteries, power banks and vapes to your hand luggage
- Carry no more than two power banks, with terminals taped or each in its own pouch
- Take lighters and matches out of jackets and washbags you're checking in
- Check spirits are below 70% ABV and within 5 litres in total
- Count your aerosols against the 2 kg total and keep every cap on
- Buy camping gas, fuel and self-defence sprays at your destination
- Move medication, passports, keys and valuables into your hand luggage
- Photograph your packed bag and keep receipts for anything valuable
- Remove every battery if your cabin bag gets gate-checked
That photo takes ten seconds. It's also the strongest evidence you'll ever create for a baggage claim. The claims that drag on are usually the ones without it.
What is the bottom line on items not allowed in checked luggage?
The list of items not allowed in checked luggage looks long. It follows one simple logic, though. If something can burn, explode, leak or corrode, keep it out of the hold. Lithium batteries flip that rule on its head. They're banned from the hold precisely because they're safer where the crew can reach them. In 2026, that means two power banks at most, no charging in flight and no vapes in your suitcase.
Careful packing protects more than your belongings. It protects your claim. A bag held for a forgotten power bank hands the airline an easy defence. A clean bag that goes missing doesn't. When the airline causes the disruption, from a lost suitcase to a long delay, you have enforceable rights to money.
Airlines count on passengers not knowing those rights exist. We exist to close that gap. Check your recent flights with Gyro. Or connect your inbox and let Autopilot scan three years of flights while you finish packing.
Find out what your disrupted flight was worth
If a flight on your trip was delayed 3+ hours, cancelled or diverted, you may be owed €250 to €600 under EC 261 or £220 to £520 under UK261. Gyro checks your eligibility for free. You keep 100% of whatever the airline pays.
- Free eligibility check in 60 seconds
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