American Airlines Power Bank Rules 2026: 2 Chargers, 100Wh

Can you bring a power bank on American Airlines? Two, at 100Wh, and you may use them

American’s rule changed in 2026 and the page says so, with a “NEW” label on the portable-charger section. The count is two, the cap is 100Wh, and, unlike most long-haul carriers, American still lets you charge a phone from the bank in flight as long as the bank stays where a flight attendant can see it.

How this page was built. VoyageHacks read American’s restricted-items page, with its batteries and smart-bag sections expanded, on 16 September 2026 and quotes it below alongside the FAA PackSafe rule and IATA’s 31 March 2026 operator guidance. Where American publishes nothing on a point, the page says so. All 38 carriers are compared in power bank rules by airline.

American Airlines power bank rules in one table

What American’s page says, word for word

Read on 16 September 2026, from the section headed “NEW: Portable chargers (power banks)”:

• “Limit 2 portable chargers per passenger while onboard; Each charger must not exceed 100 watt hours (Wh); The Wh rating is usually printed on the back or base of the charger.”
• “If only mAh is listed, use this formula to calculate watt hours (Wh): Wh = mAh × 3.7 / 1,000. A 10,000 mAh portable charger equals 37 Wh.”
• “While onboard: Keep portable chargers within reach and visible while in use; Store them in an easily accessible place, such as: A personal item under the seat; The seatback pocket.”
• “Do not: Use in seat power outlets to recharge portable chargers while onboard; Store portable chargers in overhead bins or other enclosed spaces.”
• “Large portable power banks or lithium ion generators are not allowed, including (but not limited to): 4Patriots, Bluetti, Daran, EcoFlow, Jackery, Power Queen, Solar Recharged, Vevor.”

The same page carries a federal warning worth knowing: undeclared dangerous items in baggage can bring up to five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine under 49 U.S.C. 5124. A pocket power bank is not going to trigger that, but it explains why agents do not negotiate about a Jackery.

Is your power bank under 100Wh? American’s own formula

American is the only US major that prints the conversion on its policy page, so use it: Wh = mAh x 3.7 / 1,000.

The rating “is usually printed on the back or base of the charger”, as the page says. A bank with no readable rating is the one that gets questioned, so if yours has worn off, write the figure on tape before you fly.

Where the bank goes, and how you may use it, on American

American’s rule is built around visibility. A flight attendant should be able to see a charger that is working. So:

• Charging your phone from the bank at your seat: allowed. Keep the bank on the tray, on your lap or in the seatback pocket, “within reach and visible while in use”.
• Charging the bank from the seat outlet: not allowed at any point.
• The bank in your roller bag in the overhead bin: not allowed. Move it to your personal item before boarding.
• The bank zipped inside a closed bag under the seat while it charges something: the page bans storage “in overhead bins or other enclosed spaces”, so keep it in the open while it works.

If your carry-on is checked or valeted at the gate, the bank comes out and stays with you. American writes that rule for smart bags, and the FAA writes it for every spare lithium battery.

Recalled and damaged power banks

American’s battery table lists damaged batteries as not allowed for travel, and the FAA adds that damaged or recalled batteries must not be carried aboard an aircraft in carry-on or checked baggage. Check the model number on the case against these CPSC recalls before you pack:

The A1689 is the Anker Zolo 20,000mAh 30W USB-C model, still recommended in gift guides because it is cheap. The three banks in the grid above are A1259, A1383 and A1340, none of which is recalled as of 16 September 2026.

How American compares with Delta, United and Southwest

Connecting onto a oneworld partner? British Airways allows two banks in the under-seat bag, and Qatar Airways allows two at 100Wh but bans recharging the bank in flight. The stricter leg sets what you pack.

What changes on 1 January 2027

Nothing for American passengers. IATA’s operator guidance of 31 March 2026 says the provision allowing 100 to 160Wh power banks with airline approval “will not be carried into the 68th edition” of the Dangerous Goods Regulations, in force from 1 January 2027, after which the passenger ceiling is a flat 100Wh everywhere. American’s charger rule already sits at 100Wh, so a bank that passes on American today passes on every airline next year.

Before you fly American: the 60-second check

1. Two chargers, no more.
2. Read the Wh on the back or base. Only mAh printed? mAh x 3.7 / 1,000. Over 100Wh stays home.
3. Check the model against the recall table above.
4. Move it to your personal item before the roller bag goes overhead.
5. Use it in the open. On the tray or in the seat pocket, never zipped away while it charges.
6. Leave the power station at home. Jackery, EcoFlow and Bluetti are banned by name.

American’s fares, bag fees and cabins are covered in our American Airlines review. For a bank that passes every carrier’s rule, see best travel power banks, and for all 38 airlines side by side, power bank rules by airline.

Frequently asked questions

How many power banks can I bring on American Airlines?

Two. American’s restricted-items page, in a section marked new, limits each passenger to two portable chargers while on board, and each charger must not exceed 100 watt-hours. They travel in carry-on only: the page lists portable chargers as not allowed in checked bags. The separate allowance of up to four spare lithium ion batteries under 100Wh applies to device batteries, not to power banks.

Can I use a power bank during an American Airlines flight?

Yes, with conditions. American asks you to keep portable chargers within reach and visible while in use, stored in an easily accessible place such as a personal item under the seat or the seatback pocket. What you cannot do is recharge the power bank from the in-seat power outlet, or store it in an overhead bin or any other enclosed space. American is one of the few large carriers that still allows in-flight use at all.

Does American Airlines allow power banks over 100Wh?

No. American’s rule for portable chargers is a flat 100Wh per charger. The 100 to 160Wh tier on the same page, which allows up to two spare batteries in carry-on, covers spare lithium ion batteries for devices such as cameras, and the 160 to 300Wh tier requires contacting Special Assistance before travel. Neither applies to a power bank, and large portable power banks such as Jackery, EcoFlow and Bluetti units are banned outright.

How does American Airlines convert mAh to Wh?

American publishes the formula on its own page: Wh = mAh x 3.7 / 1,000, and gives a worked example, a 10,000mAh portable charger equals 37Wh. The Wh rating is usually printed on the back or base of the charger. By that formula 20,000mAh is about 74Wh, 27,000mAh is about 100Wh and 30,000mAh, about 111Wh, is over American’s limit.

Can I put a power bank in checked luggage on American Airlines?

No. American’s table lists portable chargers as allowed in carry-on and not allowed in checked bags. Smart bags follow the same logic: you can carry one on if the battery is removable, but if the bag is checked or valeted you must remove the battery and carry it with you, and bags with non-removable batteries are not accepted at all.

Which power banks does American Airlines ban completely?

Large portable power banks and lithium ion generators, in both carry-on and checked bags. American names the brands it means: 4Patriots, Bluetti, Daran, EcoFlow, Jackery, Power Queen, Solar Recharged and Vevor. These units run to several hundred watt-hours and no approval process exists for them. Damaged batteries are also listed as not allowed for travel, and the FAA adds recalled batteries to that.

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