Originally Posted by Flying_Duck

OK, so I am sucker - persuaded by commercials and reviews, I bought myself an AWAY Cary-On luggage, the brand being one of the first offering a battery in the luggage to charge your smart-whatever. After getting into problems with enclosing it in an inaccessible compartment, AWAY now locates their battery, which is no different than any other battery everybody carries with them, in an accessible compartment close to the handle, with an opening that permits you to connect your i.e. phone directly to the battery like you do to any portable lithium battery - which I have carried in my old carry-on's forever. And yes, I am fully aware of not putting any of these batteries in my checked luggage

On my third connection (ORD-SLC 6:55PM 6/26/19) traveling with my new Carry-on, the gate agent as I boarded, took a look at the carry-on and asked "is your battery removed from it's compartment?" and I answered: "It is a battery like any other not connected to anything, and placed like my toothbrush in the luggage" - she looked puzzled, and I boarded. Just before the doors were to be closed, 3 (yes three!) agents, the gate agent and two flight attendants approached my seat and the male FA sternly asked me: "Sir, do you have a lithium battery in your carry-on luggage"? - I answered "yes" and he said "FAA regulations mandates you remove it as otherwise we can not take off". Having learned never to argue with FA's no matter what the reason, I asked "so you want me to remove it from one pocket in the luggage to put it into another pocket"? and he said "yes, that is the regulation". So I went out of my seat under the watchful eyes of the 3 agents/FAs, opened the overhead compartment, unzipped the pocket the battery was located in, unzipped the pocket just below it and asked "is it OK if I put in this pocket" and he answered "yes, that is fine" so I did that, closed the overhead bin with everybody breathing a sigh of relief as the flight now could take off.

Obviously this is nuts! - afterwards doing a search, i found that the concern had to do with when AWAY initially having enclosed their battery in an inaccessible compartment - but with lithium batter "bra-hoo-ha", that now all the "smart carry-on" makers make an area in the luggage +/- their specific battery "designated" for said (or any other) battery, Delta, I found out, is one of the only airlines who apparently persists in wanting to play the same eye rolling stupid game as the servers in some airport lounges asking to see your ID for proof of being of legal drinking age even though you are 60+ years old

FAA says that "loose lithium batteries" provided by the luggage maker are OK to bring on board in carry-ons, and basically all other Airlines have no problems with this (i.,e. American) - But Delta clearly has decided to take a stance for nonsense like the act I had to perform in front of their staff, by taking a loose battery from one pocket in my carry-on, and placing it in a pocket next to it.

Honestly, I thought Delta was better than that.

(If I have another episode like this - I will send the luggage back!)