Aer Lingus - hand luggage - Heathrow to Dublin

[NotanotherboxofFrogs]

Just wanted to ask if anyone could tell me, I've tried looking it up but not getting any clear answers.

My MIL is flying this route next week, I have ordered some power bank chargers to be delivered to my SIL in London as they aren't available for delivery to Northern Ireland.

She will be only taking hand luggage and possibly a small handbag, can she carry this on board a plane?

Many thanks 🥰

yes its fine

Thank you. That's reassuring.

Power banks are fine in hand luggage.

Just keep in mind that they should be taken out if MIL is asked to check in her suitcase into the hold for free - this can happen either at check-in or at the gate. A relative forgot to once and the bag had to be retrieved and they almost missed their flight. It's a fire hazard so just make sure she's carrying them in her handbag if they take the suitcase away.

I'm not that high tech so not sure of the terminology but if the items are actually batteries rather than a charger for batteries then the appropriate section of this document might be worth a read, especially if there's a decent quantity of the things involved...

www.aerlingus.com/media/pdfs/guide-to-dangerous-goods.pdf

There are 6 power banks in total. Will be used for charging up phones / tablets in the event of power cuts so technically batteries.

I'll say to her to keep them in her handbag as can put on the tray going for going through security. They will fit easily into her handbag (she uses a small rucksack handbag turned backwards so the bag is sitting in front of her for traveling) after that in case she has to put her hand luggage in the hold.

Thanks all.

Should be fine. In fact as far as I know they have to be carried in handluggage rather than checked bags. When I last traveled with then I took them out of my bag at security and no pack could be more powerful than 20,000mAH. However that was a while ago and a different airline

They are 10,000mAh each.

I've just been studying the link provided above and think this should be fine as can carry up to 20 units in hand luggage but will have to put into the tray going through security, which is no problem.

Many thanks everyone

There are 6 power banks in total....

That many might be an issue but the Aer Lingus pdf with their rules is potentially confusing.

It's pretty much a cut and paste of the standard IATA matrix of rules on dangerous goods and IATA allow 20 spare batteries, subject to some other limits on stuff like metal content etc.

Problem with the Aer Lingus doc is they seem to have taken the IATA matrix, left the 20 batteries rule in but further down the page added comment/caveat:

"Aer Lingus only allow 4 spare batteries up to 100 Wh per person as per “2.8.3
Operator Variations”

i.e. They have a company specific rule of max 4.????

I might be missreading it so would be interested in getting a second opinion and in any event I'm not sure if (generic) security at an airport would spot a breach of a company limit.

Above all as EileenGC mentioned these things are rightly regarded as a potential fire risk (hence the rules).

Good luck...

P.S. FWIW the basic IATA rules:

www.iata.org/contentassets/6fea26dd84d24b26a7a1fd5788561d6e/dgr-62-en-2.3a.pdf

Not at al what you asked but advise MIL to leave LOADS OF TIME to get through security at LHR.

Her niece is travelling with her so she can carry a couple if needed. 3 each 😀

She flies from Dublin to Heathrow tomorrow so the chaos that Dublin airport has been an ongoing watch this week, so she is allowing herself to be there 6 hours before flight time tomorrow and probably about the same next week when returning but will be keeping a close eye on things in Heathrow from tomorrow on,

The rules are very confusing but it's my best way to get them as the cheapest ones I can find in Northern Ireland work out about £15 upwards each and these are £11 each but can't get delivered here so getting delivered for free to SIL and brought back by people going to and fro.

Her niece is travelling with her so she can carry a couple if needed

Sounds good...hope it all goes OK.

Six hours prior to departure from DUB is mad, IMHO. The instruction is 2.5 hours for short haul if checking no luggage. She could be in a holding area outside for 3.5 hours! Check out Daa.ie for updates.

I flew Dublin to London City with BA on Wed afternoon, hand luggage only. It was very busy, I arrived at the airport at approx 1.15pm for a 3.55 pm flight - you do have to queue to get through the gates where you show your boarding pass and then again to get through security, but they were keeping the queues moving and it only took about half an hour in total to get through security.

Once through, everywhere is very busy - queues for food and difficult to find seating (however, there was more seating en route to the gates)

I dont think she will need to get there 6 hours prior to flight, although I guess a Saturday might be busier.

My husband flew out of Dublin last Sunday (the worst day for queues). Hand luggage only. He arrived at airport at 5pm, (3 hours prior to flight departure time), queued outside terminal building for approx 1 hour, then another 45 minutes to get through security.

Hope all goes OK!

Sorry I didn't express myself very well, she will be about 4 hours in advance, that's allowing for the bus times from the local bus station to Dublin airport, about 90 mins on the bus - so has 30 mins to play with but allowing about 4 hours for the actual airport to get thru all. She plans to bring sandwiches for waiting time and refill water bottles once thru security and has a kindle loaded up ready to sit around waiting.

MIL has a liking for being in time for things so say she is coming to visit someone at 7.30 pm, I can guarantee that she will be parked up around the corner by 7.15 pm and then park at the front of the house at 7.28 pm so can be at the actual door for 7.30 pm exactly. 😂