New wave of smart luggage leaves airlines scrambling

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While many travellers might think that the worst thing about a 7 a.m. flight from Toronto's Pearson International Airport is braving the lineup of caffeine junkies at Tim Hortons, an incident on a full Air Canada flight recently raised the bar: One morning last week, while the Vancouver-bound plane was sitting on the tarmac, one passenger's cellphone caught fire and had to be extinguished by the crew.

The passenger received treatment for burns on her hands, and those sitting nearby were evacuated for cleanup; the delay lasted two hours. Some passengers reported seeing smoke from dozens of rows away, and one passenger told Toronto news channel CP24 that the fire was a "small campfire-sized flame."

This is not, of course, the first time a cellphone has caused a commotion on an airplane. Earlier this year, cellphone chargers caused fires on planes in both Russia and China. And the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 became an international transit pariah after a pattern of spontaneous fires and explosions resulted in multiple recalls and, after being deemed a hazard, were banned from all Canadian and U.S. flights (among others).

While the potential problems associated with lithium ion batteries have long been known, concern has since expanded to the new wave of so-called smart luggage – designs that integrate electronic technology to offer a range of new features – and airlines are now scrambling to modify regulations in response.

While lithium ion batteries are notoriously unstable in certain circumstances – such as when the batteries are poorly made or installed improperly, leading to punctures and exposure to air – they are also extremely efficient and long-lasting. Lithium ion batteries are commonly used in all kinds of helpful travel-related accessories, from cellphones and computers to headphones and fitness trackers – and, increasingly, luggage.

This new wave of smart luggage is part of the broader internet of things and Bluetooth-enabled movement – the desire to add modern communication devices to everything from refrigerators to umbrellas. Major luggage manufacturers have rolled out a range of features meant to digitally enhance and add convenience to the travel experience.

Heys, for example, sells smart luggage with multiple features, including a "smart handle" with integrated scale (which provides the weight of the bag when picked up by the handle), "smart TSA lock" which uses Bluetooth to remotely lock or unlock the bag; and a "proximity alarm" that alerts a user when his or her bag is coming down the luggage carousel.

Luxury luggage manufacturer Rimowa has introduced a new piece of luggage with a built-in e-paper luggage tag that can be checked in online (currently only offered with Lufthansa, EVA, Swiss and Austrian) through a cellphone-enabled Bluetooth connection. And other bags now have built-in chargers (some powered by lithium-ion batteries) and GPS location trackers to address the perennial concern about luggage being lost.

Airlines have been forced to modify their policies to accommodate the growing popularity of these bags. The guidelines set out by WestJet and Air Canada, informed by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), dictate that they will accept smart luggage as a carry-on provided that the system within the bag is completely powered down. If the system cannot be turned off, any batteries must be removed. In order to check a piece of smart luggage, the lithium ion battery-pack must be removed and brought into the cabin. In the event that a piece of luggage cannot be powered down and the batteries cannot be removed, the airline will not accept the bag. (The generally accepted wisdom is that potentially volatile batteries are safer in the cabin – where any fires could be manually extinguished – than in the baggage hold.)

Most Canadian carriers – and many international ones – are enforcing similar regulations, notes Lauren Stewart, a spokesperson for WestJet. "The safety of our guests, our crews and our aircraft is our top priority and given that travellers may fly on several carriers in the same journey, it makes sense to adopt a consistent approach." Most carriers do allow passengers to check devices – including mobile phones, cameras, watches, portable music players and others – with small lithium ion batteries (defined as <100 Wh, or less than 100 watt-hours).

A consistent approach will help with any confusion shared by travellers eager to add enticing new gadgets to their luggage but will require constant adaptation as more and more so-called smart features are added, some of which could render a bag's functionality temporarily moot.