To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1, the Transportation Department said Friday.
Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.
Interesting that they quote "fire hazard" as the reason - the footage I've seen of lithium batteries catching fire has been when they're inserted and being used. Anyway.
My advice - switch to alkaline if you can while traveling. Example: The Nikon D200 has an accessory battery grip that lets you load up with commercially available, disposable AA batts as opposed to the rechargeables.
* I had flown to New Zealand from Los Angeles on QANTAS in coach with a dedicated carry-on for my camera gear. Unfortunately, the US end does not enforce the declared carry-on weight restrictions. However, the NZ end does. They were going to force me to part with my bag and check it plane-side if I couldn't find some way to reduce a mass of 18kg to 8kg. I managed, but only after checking some gear I really would rather not have (like a lens and a digital photo storage device with all of my pictures on it). I've started the routine practice of wearing a photog vest and stuffing it with gear when traveling out of the country. Even f they weigh the carry-on, they don't seem to bother with weighing me. I don't think this strategem will work for Li-Ion batts, though.
