I don't recall seeing any such signs in Cancun, which looks like any other major airport. Certainly no one comes down the line showing it to you personally. CZM usually has but one or two lines to queue up in, CUN has dozens.
Update me on the battery rules!
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I don't recall seeing any such signs in Cancun, which looks like any other major airport. Certainly no one comes down the line showing it to you personally. CZM usually has but one or two lines to queue up in, CUN has dozens.
Coralcop
Contributor
I always pack my batteries in Lipo safe bags, and carry them on. It really is the safest way to carry them. In the past I have had Mexican officials seize them. I just returned from Coz last week, and had extra go pro batteries and gimbal batteries in my carry on and camera case. They totally ignored them. As usual, different day, different circumstances. Your mileage may vary....
Fish Finder Girl
Registered
Over the last 18 years, I have carried rechargeable AA and weird sized (larger than AA) used for camera strobes and handheld lights, always packed carefully in my checked luggage. When the rules changed in the US to carry lithium batteries in carry-on luggage, I began carrying them on. Never had a problem at Cozumel when leaving until last year, when they wanted to confiscate them. After useless arguing, they finally suggested I take them back through security, and see if I could put them in my checked luggage. The agent said I had to put them in a bag (so I had to go buy a small bag at the little convenience store, and they had a baggage handler locate my luggage. I thought this was super dangerous, but I wasn't willing to throw away the very expensive larger batteries, so I went along with it. They actually dragged one bag out, I added them, and went back through security. When I got through Customs in the US, I pulled them back out of checked luggage and put them in my carry-on. WHAT A PAIN! Once in 18 years.
This year, I asked at the gate, and apparently Cozumel is up to date - at least this time. The person asking us about batteries BEFORE we got to the desk to check showed us the sign saying no batteries, and told us we couldn't carry them on. When I pushed back and explained the rule with US carriers, she asked someone at the desk and they said that indeed we needed to carry them on. Basically the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - flip a coin. It's not going to stop me from going to CZM, but it is irritating.
This year, I asked at the gate, and apparently Cozumel is up to date - at least this time. The person asking us about batteries BEFORE we got to the desk to check showed us the sign saying no batteries, and told us we couldn't carry them on. When I pushed back and explained the rule with US carriers, she asked someone at the desk and they said that indeed we needed to carry them on. Basically the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - flip a coin. It's not going to stop me from going to CZM, but it is irritating.
gopbroek
Contributor
Different country different rules. USA: loose lithium batteries in carry on but due to the hightened (bordering on hysteria for some folks) concerns I would carry all batteries in carry on or risk loosing them to an over zelious TSA inspection after your checked bag disappears down the belt. The USA rule is based on the idea being that in the event one of them cooked off they could be accessesed if in the cabin and the resultant fire(if any) could possibly be delt with before another Value jet type of event occured. Some carriers like my employer have placed fireproof containment bags in the cabin so that if a battery cooked off it could be shoved in the bag to prevent a larger fire and smoke event.
Mexico took the opposite track and does not want a possible incindary devise accessable in the cabin (terrorist concerns?, don't know). This rule seems to be country wide and it is my experience that Cozumel is actually pretty lax I have traveled from a number of airports in central and northern Mexico and the rules are consistent. The airport workers are normally contract employee's who take thier instructions very literally for fear of losing thier jobs.
You need to follow the rules of the country you enplane from. Going out of Mexico follow Mexico rules, if re-checking in the USA after customs you need to shift them to comply with USA rules.
Common sense really does not factor in, thier are two sets of government regulators involved.
Mexico took the opposite track and does not want a possible incindary devise accessable in the cabin (terrorist concerns?, don't know). This rule seems to be country wide and it is my experience that Cozumel is actually pretty lax I have traveled from a number of airports in central and northern Mexico and the rules are consistent. The airport workers are normally contract employee's who take thier instructions very literally for fear of losing thier jobs.
You need to follow the rules of the country you enplane from. Going out of Mexico follow Mexico rules, if re-checking in the USA after customs you need to shift them to comply with USA rules.
Common sense really does not factor in, thier are two sets of government regulators involved.
The changes to the carriers' (United's, anyway) rules in the past year make it a bit more complicated. At check in they asked me if I had Li batteries in my checked bag. I told them yes because I thought that was the rule leaving Cozumel. They told me I had to move them to carry on and that they knew about it at Security. I moved them and had no problem.
YMMV, of course.
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Seems fairly clear from the posts on this thread.
Flying into Mexicoall batteries belong in your carry on.
Flying out of Mexico batteries are in checked bags and once you get to the US they go into carry on bags.
Even if you do this you might still face a confiscation by a clueless Mexican TSA agent but at least you've covered yourself as best you can.
Flying into Mexicoall batteries belong in your carry on.
Flying out of Mexico batteries are in checked bags and once you get to the US they go into carry on bags.
Even if you do this you might still face a confiscation by a clueless Mexican TSA agent but at least you've covered yourself as best you can.
Well, different countries, different rules. But there seems to be a near consensus by experts in the industry that loose lithium batteries should be in carry-on. The USA is not out in left field on this one... Mexico is. Battery policy on every airline I checked is consistent with USA. China Airlines, EVA, British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines.
What I find even more irritating is that I believe it is feigned ignorance. How can you possibly work in an airport every day where dozens if not hundreds of passengers per day are carrying loose batteries and have the same issues, and not know the actual policy? It would be like working in a dive shop and someone says they forgot to pack their c-card and you acting like this has never happened before in history and you have no idea how to handle it.
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