Is It Allowed To Take Your Electric Scooter On A Plane?

Carrying your electric scooter with you on an airplane is not as simple as you think. But leaving it behind when moving to somewhere doesn’t seem like a good option, as it is one of the most convenient modes of transportation. The electric scooter can help you explore the new area while not spending money on conveyance. Plus, by the time you understand the transportation system of that place, you will have the scooter to assist you.

 However, when traveling through an airplane, you need to check whether the authorities allow adding the electric scooter to your baggage or not. 

If this is your first travel with the electric scooter, you may face some troubles. That is why we have created a guide that will help in making your journey smooth and ensuring that you don’t get stuck in any trouble. 

The Problem Of Carrying Electric Scooter On A Plane

The question “can you take your electric scooter on a plane?” doesn’t have a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as an answer. It is because all airlines have different rules on the items that a passenger can add to their carry-on or check-in luggage. Plus, an electric scooter consists of lithium-ion batteries. So it comes under those items that have particular guidelines for carrying on a plane.

 Airlines have regulations on the size of the baggage as well, which can create another problem with taking an electric scooter on a plane. One may not be able to include the scooter in the luggage if it is bigger than the permissible measurements.

How To Carry The Scooter

Now that you know all the problems that you will be facing while taking your electric scooter on a plane, let’s see how to do it.

#1 Taking Care Of The Battery Size

There are no specific rules for carrying an electric scooter on planes. However, there are a few guidelines for adding lithium-ion batteries to your carry-on and check-in luggage. These regulations are made mostly considering the laptop batteries and power banks, and their size gets calculated accordingly. 

Here are a few key points you can find on carrying a battery in your luggage.

• No lithium-ion batteries above the size of 160 Wh are allowed to be added to the check-in or carry-on baggage.
• You need to collect approval from the operator for both types of luggage, in case your battery size lies between the range 100-160 Wh.
• If the battery size is below 100 Wh, you can carry it in either of the luggage without any worries or approvals.

You can see here that the size of the battery is calculated in Watt-hour ratings. So you need to consider that only. Otherwise, you will get yourself into some last-minute troubles. If you find the ampere-hour rating on your scooter, you can multiply it with the given voltage, and the required battery size will be attained.

Considering the rules mentioned above, you can easily add your electric scooter in the bags if its battery size lies in the range of 0-160 Wh. If the battery size is larger than that, you need to check with the operator for their regulations and seek their permission for carrying the scooter.

Some of the batteries that are usually allowed in the carry-on luggage are:

• Small consumer-sized batteries that have up to 2 grams of lithium in each unit. These batteries are normally used in your personal electronics.
• Dry cell batteries that are rechargeable, like Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride.
• Lithium batteries that are below 100 Wh rating or have up to 8 grams of lithium in them.
• Absorbed electrolyte batteries that have secure packaging or are fixed in an appliance.

#2 Checking The Size Of The Scooter

Along with the size of the battery, the size of the scooter matters as well. You need to check with the operator’s rules on how much weight is allowed for you to carry. Generally, you would need their authorization if the electric scooter weighs more than 70 lbs. 

Below this weight, you may not have any trouble in taking your electric scooter in a plane. But it would be recommended here to check with the airlines in order to avoid any last-minute difficulties. In case you are buying a new scooter, opt for a foldable one so that you can carry it anywhere with ease.

#3 Securing The Electric Scooter

After you have got the size of your electric scooter and battery approved, the next thing to do is to secure the scooter so that it remains usable by the time you reach your destination. Before you hand over the e-scooter to the airline staff, you must follow these instructions: 

• Use some cable to keep the key safe. You can use fishing tackle cables and avoid elastics or rubber bands for this purpose.
• Add a masking tape on the throttle control top. It will help in keeping the throttle control in the lowest possible position. Also, you can add the “Don’t Remove” instruction to that tape to ensure maximum security.
• If there are removable cushions and baskets on your electric scooter, remove them from the vehicle. You can keep them in a separate bag with you.
• Cover the entire vehicle using plastic wraps and tapes. This step is crucial as it secures the electric scooter against scratches caused by rough handling.

Airport Guidelines To Carry Electric Scooter

You may think that the information mentioned above is enough for you to carry the electric scooter in a plane. However, there are some side rules that are not written anywhere, but must be followed in order to avoid any complications or troubles. Here are some key points you can keep in mind if you want to make the entire process smooth.

#1 Arrive A Little Early

The general instructions are always mentioned on the tickets or the website of the airline. You can find there the rule stating how soon you should arrive at the airport so that all the due formalities can be completed on time. In general situations, you can get to the airport at the very last minute, and there will be no troubles.

But when you have to check-in your electric scooter, and there are formalities related to it, you should plan for an early arrival at the airport. This will give you some spare time just in case something doesn’t go as planned.

#2 Check All The Requirements

Generally, some requirements are provided beforehand by the airlines in such cases. If you have booked your flight through some agent, you should check with them for these instructions. Some standard guidelines include removing the battery or securing the vehicle.

You must check on all the given instructions so that there would be no issues at the airport. Also, when you do this in due time, you will have some extra duration to confirm for anything that is not clear in the requirements list.

#3 Take Assistance From The Staff

The entire airline staff is there to assist you regarding any issues that you might face. So you should not hesitate to take their help in whatever situation. If you are not sure about anything, you can ask them to guide you. 

You might think this point to be obvious, but some people feel hesitant in taking the assistance. That is why it was crucial to mention it here. If nothing else, this will help in making your journey smoother with the scooter.

Conclusion

Now you must have understood that the question “whether you can take an electric scooter on a plan or not” doesn’t have a simple answer. That is why your first step towards the process should be to check for the weight and battery size of the scooter. If it is in permissible limits, you can keep it.

Otherwise, try contacting the airline services. In case you have booked the flights through an agent, ask them to contact the operator regarding this issue. Once they confirm with the details and ensure you that you can carry the vehicle with you, you should ask them for guidelines and go as instructed. This will help you in getting a peaceful journey and avoiding all the unnecessary hassle.