UK Airlines

With the summer holidays set to be one of the busiest travel periods, everyone needs to be aware of the different rules when it comes to taking a nifty gadget on board flights

Before jetting off abroad this summer, it’s vital to understand the little-known gadget rule that varies by airline.

For most of us, packing a power bank for our holiday is top of the list, whether it’s to use at the airport or while exploring a new city. But there are strict rules for carrying the nifty gadget onboard.

Earlier this year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation amended its rules on passengers carrying power banks, along with lithium cells or batteries, onboard any aircraft. The changes came into effect on 27 March, limiting how travellers pack and use their power banks, with a cap on the number that can be taken on board.

The amended rules from the ICAO stated that power banks:

• Must be carried in carry‑on baggage
• Must be individually protected when not in use
• Must not be recharged on board the aircraft
• Should not be used to charge other portable electronic devices on board the aircraft
• Maximum of two power banks per person

There have been various reports of power banks causing hazardous issues onboard, with safety experts at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) explaining that lithium batteries found in power banks can be dangerous on planes, primarily because they can enter “thermal runaway.” This is a process in which a battery experiences a rapid, uncontrollable temperature surge, potentially leading to fires, explosions, and the release of toxic fumes.

In accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, most airlines allow passengers to carry two power banks per person on board. However, they cannot be used during the flight and must be taken on board in their hand luggage.

What airlines allow two power banks?

• Asiana Airlime
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• China Airlines
• easyJet
• EVA Air
• Jet2
• Lufthansa
• Korean Air
• Loganair
• Qantas
• Ryanair
• Singapore Airlines
• Starlux Airlines
• TUI Airways
• United
• Vietnam Airlines
• Wizz Air

While these airlines allow two power banks on board, they also outline their own additional rules, including the permitted watt-hours and the required device condition. So it’s vital to check your airline’s specific power bank rules before jetting off abroad.

What airlines only allow one power bank?

While most airlines allow travellers to take two power banks on board, Emirates restricts customers to just one power bank per person. They state that it must be under 100 watt-hours, carried in hand luggage, and cannot be used to charge devices on board.

The airline also outlines that the power bank should not be placed in the overhead lockers, but must be placed in the seat pocket or in a bag underneath the seat in front. For full details on Emirates’ power bank rules, visit their website.

What airlines allow more than two power banks?

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic permits passengers to carry up to five power banks or spare batteries per person. However, it depends significantly on their watt-hour (Wh) rating.

They also need to be stored in hand luggage and cannot be used during the flight. For full details on Virgin Atlantic’s power bank restrictions, visit their website.

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The airline cancelled its flights from London-Gatwick back in 2012, but now it’s back offering an affordable route to Asia via the Middle East with flights resuming this autumn after its break

A low-cost airline that axed its flights from the UK over 14 years ago is set to resume services with a new route from London-Gatwick, creating an affordable way to visit Asia.

AirAsia X, a Malaysian airline, launched flights to Kuala Lumpur from London-Stansted back in 2009, moving the service to London Gatwick in 2011. This made it the first budget carrier covering the so-called Kangaroo Route, connecting long-haul travel between Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe.

But just one year later, AirAsia X withdrew from unprofitable routes, including London, focusing instead on its operations in Sydney and Beijing.

The airline has now announced that it’ll once again offer flights to London-Gatwick. Although the newer flights will offer a stopover in Bahrain in the Middle East in order to cut costs. Flights will be on an Airbus A330-300, holding up to 377 passengers, which, on most airlines, has a 2-4-2 seat configuration in economy class.

The route was due to launch in June, but due to the conflict in the Middle East, it’ll now launch four times a week from August 27, before being available daily on dates from November 2.

Flights from Kuala Lumpur to the UK will leave at 10pm, stopping in Bahrain for an hour and 45 minutes, then arriving at London-Gatwick at 6.25am the following day.

London-Gatwick services will depart at 9.25am, with a two-hour stopover in Bahrain, before heading onto Kuala Lumpur for an arrival time of 9.25am the next day. This puts the journey time at 16-and-a-half hours overall, split almost evenly between the two legs of the flight.

Flights are now available to book online via Skyscanner, with dates in November currently showing at £551 return, which includes a small personal item and a carry bag, but no checked luggage. Travellers can also book the route for Bahrain alone if they wish.

If you prefer a direct flight, then British Airways flies to the city from London-Heathrow daily, while Malaysia Airlines also flies the same route twice a day, although these options are likely to be more expensive.

Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s capital, and it’s a vibrant city with plenty to do. You can see its stunning high-rise skyline from the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world that have a skybridge connecting them. Merdeka Square in its centre hosts a range of unique architecture, from British colonial to Moorish and modern, showing all the different styles that make this city so unique. Just outside the city, the Batu Caves are a huge draw for tourists, as they contain a number of Hindu temples and one of the tallest statues of a Hindu god in the world.

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, the chief executive of London-Gatwick airport, previously said in a statement: “The arrival of AirAsia X and flights to Kuala Lumpur is fantastic news for London Gatwick passengers. The new daily service will provide excellent opportunities to visit the city or onward connectivity across the region – ideal for holidaymakers, businesses and the many British‑Malaysian families who will now have even better options for visiting friends and relatives.”

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Passengers flying on popular budget airlines this summer have been warned over a 32kg bag rule that many holidaymakers don’t know about, and it can see your suitcases turned away at check-in

There are endless packing hacks online to help you minimise the amount you take on a plane, but let’s face it, some of us just like to take a lot of extra stuff when we go on holiday.

And it’s not always out of choice. If you’re travelling with a baby, or you need to pack medical equipment, the size of your suitcase can soon grow and the luggage scales at the airport could end up groaning under the weight of your luggage.

Some passengers who travel as a group will use a bag-pooling hack. This means their luggage allowance as a group is spread between multiple cases. For example, if you travel as a couple and buy two 20kg bags, you could have one that weighs 30kg and one that weighs 10kg. But this travel hack does have a major exception some travellers don’t know about.

Not only do airlines’ policies vary on bag-pooling, with each one having its own rules about whether you can use this method, there’s also a strict upper weight limit for a single piece of luggage.

This rule isn’t about the airlines trying to charge extra for luggage. Bags need to stay under a certain weight due to baggage handlers having restrictions on how much they can lift. For most carriers, this is a strict 32kg weight limit for a bag or any item being checked in. Anything tipping the scales over this weight could therefore be refused at the check-in desk.

Here’s a look at what the UK’s most popular airlines say about upper weight limits and whether they allow bag pooling on their flights.

EasyJet

On easyJet’s website, it explains the rules about upper weight limits and sharing baggage allowances: “If you’re travelling with family or friends on the same flight and booking, you can pool your total weight allowance.

“This means that the total weight allowance can be split among the total number of bags booked, as long as no single item weighs more than 32kg. Maximum total size (length + width + height) = under 275cm.”

Jet2

Recently, a passenger with a booking for 10 people took to social media to ask Jet2: “If one person is over does all the weight pool together or does everyone individual need to be 22kg?” The airline replied: “Yes you are able to pool your luggage providing you do not go over your overall weight limit and no one bag weighs more than 32kg.”

The customer then followed up to ask: “So one person won’t be charged if their case is overweight slightly and the rest are under?”, to which Jet2’s customer service representative replied: “That’s correct. If one bag is slightly over, but others are under, you will still have room within your overall allowance and will not be charged.”

TUI

Passengers flying with TUI should check their booking to see whether the flight is operated by TUI airways itself, or another carrier. Some packages booked through TUI fly with third-party airlines.

TUI’s website states: “If you’re travelling with TUI Airways, you’re allowed to pool your luggage allowance with anyone else travelling on your booking. However, each bag can only weigh up to 25kg.

“If you’re unsure of your luggage allowance, then you can find this on your booking confirmation or by logging into Manage my booking”. Passengers who have booked a TUI package with a flight on a different airline should contact the company they are flying with directly for advice.

Ryanair

Ryanair’s FAQs are very clear about bag-pooling, saying: “Yes. Bag pooling is allowed between passengers with check-in bags on the same flight reservation. This means that if you have two 20kg Check-in Bags (40kg total) on your booking, one of those bags could weigh 15kg while the other weighs 25kg.”

But it was clear about its upper weight limit, saying: “However, no bag can weigh more than 32kg.”

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A woman concerned about a name discrepancy between her easyJet holiday booking and passport was urged by the airline to get in touch directly to resolve the issue

Budget airline easyJet has urged a customer to get in touch after she queried whether she needed to make an amendment to her booking. The prospective passenger had secured a holiday with the carrier but had concerns about a potential issue with her trip.

Taking to the easyJet holidays Facebook page, Jessica asked: “Booked holiday with my “first” and “last name” My “given name” on my passport includes my middle name.

“Do I need to amend my booking? I fly in 2 weeks and haven’t yet checked in if that makes a difference.”

She received a response from easyJet stating: “According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there’s no middle name rule as such, but their guidance is the recorded name on a reservation and ticket should match the name in your official travel document.” A follow-up reply from Anga then added: “Hi Jessica, thank you for reaching out.

“Please note that the name on your booking needs to match what is on your passport. To assist you with adding your middle name, kindly DM us with your booking reference, booker’s name and email address used on the booking.”

The UK government website advises travellers to ensure two key things are consistent when booking a trip, reports the Liverpool Echo. It states: “The name on your passport must match the one you use when you book your travel.”

However, it does not clarify whether a middle name featured in your passport must also be included when making a booking. Different airlines have their own policies, so it’s always advisable to check with them directly if you have any worries about anything on your travel documents.

Ryanair, for instance, addresses the question on its website, stating: “For security reasons, the first name and surname on your booking must match the names on your travel document(s). We do not require middle name or second/double-barrelled surnames for flights.”

Jet2 similarly states that middle names aren’t required, except in one particular scenario. On its website, it explains: “We don’t we don’t need your middle name(s) on your booking unless two people on the booking have identical first and last names. Please make sure all names are spelt exactly as they are on your passport.”

Tui has also confirmed it’s not essential. Responding to a query about the website not accepting a full name, it clarified: “Our website only allows for a maximum 15 characters in the name box.

“Just enter what you can and contact us so we can make a note of your full name on the system. Just so you know, we only need your title, first name and surname. You don’t have to include middle names.”

British Airways has said it will cut flights to six destinations and permanently end its route to a seventh, citing the war in the Middle East

British Airways is cutting flights to seven major international airports in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The airline said it has updated its schedule of flights for the Summer 2026 season, which ends on October 24. Customers have been told the changes were made to destinations in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces in the region.

As a part of the new schedule, British Airways has reduced the number of flights to seven cities in the Middle East. Services to Dubai are being reduced from three flights a day to one, with the daily service due to return on August 1 (meanwhile, a second daily flight is planned to start on October 16).

Flights to Doha in Qatar, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Tel Aviv in Israel are also being cut from twice‑daily to once‑daily. All three routes are expected to resume normal frequency on August 1.

READ MORE: Holiday hell as luggage piled at Heathrow and BA warns of ‘ongoing impact’READ MORE: British Airways cancels flights from Heathrow and Gatwick as hundreds stranded at airport

Following a wider review of the programme, the airline has also made the decision to permanently end its route to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24, The Express reports.

The airlines said in a statement: “Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, we have made further changes to our flying schedule to provide greater clarity for our customers.

“We are keeping the situation under constant review and are directly in touch with affected customers to offer them a range of options.

“Since the disruption began, we have helped thousands of customers return home, operated relief flights, and added additional capacity on key long‑haul routes. We will continue to assess and introduce further flying where possible.”

Destinations impacted by reduced British Airways flights

• Tel Aviv
• Dubai
• Doha
• Riyadh
• Bahrain
• Amman
• Jeddah