Travel savings tips and Southwest limits portable chargers starting April 20

Southwest Airlines will limit travelers to one portable charger or power bank per person starting April 20, a tighter onboard-safety rule arriving as summer airfare pricing rewards flexibility and punishes holiday timing.

The change affects a device many passengers treat as essential, especially on full travel days with tight connections and heavy phone use. Southwest, headquartered in Dallas and a dominant carrier at Dallas Love Field, says the portable charger cannot go in checked luggage and cannot be stored in an overhead bin. The airline also says passengers may not recharge power banks using in-seat power outlets, and any charger in use must remain visible so crew members can respond quickly if a device overheats. Southwest says it plans to rely on pre-trip and check-in notifications, digital signage, announcements, and staff interactions rather than aggressively searching bags. The policy was communicated internally in a memo from Dave Hunt, the airline’s vice president of safety and security, and Southwest described the allowed device as one 100 watt-hour charger per person.

The crackdown lands amid rising incident counts across U.S. aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 97 lithium battery incidents in 2025, and UL Standards & Engagement chief executive Jeff Marootian cited a 42% increase in incidents involving portable chargers that year, tying the trend to the growing number of rechargeable devices passengers carry.

For travelers trying to stay compliant, the baseline federal rules are often misunderstood. The Transportation Security Administration allows power banks in carry-on bags but not in checked bags, while FAA guidance generally allows lithium-ion batteries from 0 to 100 watt-hours, requires airline approval for 101 to 160 watt-hours, and forbids batteries over 160 watt-hours. Southwest’s one-charger cap goes further than an International Civil Aviation Organization recommendation issued last month that suggested a limit of two chargers per passenger. The practical packing play is simple: carry one clearly labeled power bank at or under 100Wh, keep it under the seat or on your person, and do not plug it into seat power. If a second battery is buried in a backpack, expect screening delays or a last-minute repack at the gate.

The new safety rules are arriving alongside a summer pricing environment that can still reward disciplined booking. Hopper’s Summer 2025 Travel Outlook pegged average round-trip domestic summer airfare at about $265, the lowest in three years and below summer 2019 levels, but warned that holiday weekends can cost about $81 more per ticket, roughly 34% above the cheapest weekends. Expedia’s 2024 summer outlook found a “sweet spot” of 21 to 60 days out, with savings around 15% when booking in that window, and noted that domestic departures on Tuesdays can be cheaper than peak departure days.

Katy Nastro highlighted both dynamics in an April 11 ABC News segment on searching for savings: plan around the calendar, then book with enough lead time to avoid the holiday premium. Locking in flights three to eight weeks before departure, shifting travel off holiday weekends, and rechecking the total trip cost once seat selection and baggage add-ons are included can produce larger savings than chasing a small fare drop, while Southwest’s one-charger limit raises the stakes for packing correctly before leaving home.