Idaho Travel Alert: TSA Bans Popular Item from Checked Bags

What’s the longest you’ve waited to get security at the Boise Airport? While Idaho may have recently ranked among states with the busiest airports, in large part to the volume of people departing from BOI, we’re pretty spoiled when it comes to our TSA wait times. 

Idaho Has Some of the Busiest Airports in America

According to Salt Lake City-based KSL, a vacation rental company combed through five years of statistics from the Bureau of Transportation to rank each state in the country based on their per capita passenger rates during the Christmas/New Year’s travel period. When they crunched the numbers, Idaho ranked ninth on that list. Nearly 200,000 passengers pass through Idaho airports in December. Most of those are traveling to BOI. 

Why Do Boise’s TSA Lines Move Faster Than Other Airports?

One of the reasons we ranked so high on that list is the fact that when you’re comparing the number of travelers against the number of people living in the state, Idaho has a much smaller population than Georgia, Texas or Colorado. That’s where you’ll find the airports that handle the largest passenger volume in America. 

READ MORE: What You Need to Know About the TAS's Urgent New Warning for Idaho Travelers 

However, there’s another piece of equipment at the Boise Airport that you may not realize has sped up the screening process. In 2020, the Boise Airport got something called a “computed tomography scanner.” It was installed in the lane furthest to the left in the screening area. 

The technology in that scanner allows passengers to keep their electronics, travel sized liquids and food inside their carry-on luggage and personal items during screening. There’s been a push to install these CT scanners in all major airports around the country, but due to costs and other factors that likely won’t happen until 2040. However, once it does happen, we may finally get to say goodbye to the 3-1-1 liquid rule. 

TSA Bans Popular Item from Checked Bags at Idaho Airports

Even if that rule goes away, the TSA will still be screening every piece of luggage boarding your plane. That includes both your carry-on luggage and your checked bags. 

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It goes without saying that more and more travelers are choosing to use their smartphones for all the essential parts of their trip: from boarding passes to hotel reservations to paying for food at the airport. That’s why making sure your device has enough battery life to make it through the trip is essential. 

That’s part of why rechargeable power banks have become almost as much of a travel essential as headphones and travel pillows. However, you MUST pay attention to where you pack yours. You may rely on charging ports around the airport during your layover, with plans to grab your charging pack out of your suitcase before you get in your Uber. 

DO NOT PACK YOUR RECHARGEABLE POWER BANK IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE. Read that again. If your suitcase is being checked through to your final destination, it will be pulled by security during screening if they discover a power bank in your luggage. According to the TSA’s website the devices are not permitted in checked luggage if they contain a lithium battery.  

The Federal Aviation Administration explains: 

All lithium ion batteries are capable of overheating and undergoing a process called thermal runaway. Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed. 

Rechargeable power banks are, however, allowed in carry-on luggage because flight crews are trained to handle emergencies if a lithium battery begins overheating, smoking or burning inside the cabin. 

You may be surprised that there are quite a few items that can’t be packed in your checked luggage. Here’s a look at some others.