American Airlines passengers hit with new rules for common accessory on flights

New travel rules are being brought in for the millions of Americans that fly with the biggest airline in the country, which will likely affect many passengers during the busy summer break.

Anyone using American Airlines will have to follow new rules around a common phone charging accessory that are becoming increasingly widespread across the aviation industry due to safety concerns.

That is, the permanent danger of poorly made or damaged power banks exploding, which everyone can agree is the last thing you want to happen when you are flying at 30,000ft through the air in a pressurized cabin.

These portable chargers have become increasingly ubiquitous among travelers in recent years, having become essential for every part of flying, from displaying boarding passes to visa travel authorizations.

Running out of battery while flying can be a bit of a nightmare (Getty Stock Image)

These all, obviously, now require a charged cell phone. Making the idea of walking around with a dead battery the equivalent of leaving your passport at home.

But an increasing number of incidents involving these portable power banks, which give many travelers piece of mind in knowing they won't need to try and find a public charging point, has led to increasing restrictions against their use.

American Airlines has become the latest firm to join this safety trend, with multiple new rules for portable devices taking effect from May 1.

From Friday, all passengers will be required to keep their portable chargers visible at all time while on their flight - so no more long USB cables trailing from your bag. Or, hiding your spare chargers in your carry on luggage.

"We know our customers rely on portable chargers to keep devices powered throughout their journey," the carrier stated.

You will need to keep your power bank visible at all times while flying (Getty Stock Image)

It continued: "To support safety on board while ensuring our customers continue to have the ability to charge when on the go, American is requiring customers to keep these devices easily accessible during flight."

And, from Friday, you will only be allowed to bring two chargers on the flight, with no re-charging allowed while on the plane. These devices are also not allowed to exceed between 100 and 160 watt-hours.

While you are unlikely to need two power banks on even long haul flights, this could prove difficult for some.

That's because you aren't allowed to store your power banks in the overhead lockers or in your hold luggage, which essentially means that all travelers are now limited to just two portable chargers when they go on vacation.

While this might seem like a rapid change in policy, a number of airlines are taking increasingly hardline stances against power banks after advice from the Federal Aviation Administration last September.

In 2025, the FAA recorded 97 lithium battery incidents, with 82 involving passenger planes and 34 involving batteries or battery packs.