Smart bags could soon be banned on flights

[gretah]

From CNN.com this morning -
Many smart bags could soon be banned on most U.S. flights.

My note - Not only might we want to leave these bags at home, we probably shouldn't give smart bags as gifts this holiday season.

Back to CNN:
"Smart bags, also known as smart luggage, have become more popular over the last few months, and they are expected to be a popular gift this holiday season," said American Airlines (AAL). "However, smart bags contain lithium battery power banks, which pose a risk when they are placed in the cargo hold of an aircraft."
The bags generally have USB ports where customers can recharge their phones and other devices. They might also have GPS to track the bag's location in case it gets lost, electronic locks and a weight scale to prevent overpacking. Some even a motor to propel the bags so that they can double as a scooter or just follow their owner around the airport.
Related: Laptops could be banned from checked bags due to fire risk
Airlines are worried that the batteries could cause a fire in the cargo hold that would go undetected. Most of the bans will allow fliers to check the bags if the battery can be removed and carried by the passenger in the cabin. But many of the bags already on the market have batteries that can't be removed.

Read more at
Most U.S. airlines set to limit use of 'smart bags' - Dec. 5, 2017

 

[audreyh1]

Never heard of smart bags.

Lithium batteries in the hold - not good.

 

[Sunset]

Being perhaps a Luddite, I find smart bags a dumb idea.
Why would I want to make my bag heavier than it is, and if I'm on a long trip, I'll need to plug into a wall to charge things up, even if it was just to charge up the smart bag, so I might as well charge up my devices directly.

 

[harley]

It looks like fun! We better ban it!

 

[CaptTom]

 

[Red Badger]

It looks like fun! We better ban it!

Perfect...
Just what an obese, out of shape population needs; a little more ass time.

 

[zedd]

It's coming. Wait for it. Yes it's here. Texting while Modo-bagging. The next great plague.

 

[athena53]

I wouldn't mind the ability to track the bag and to lock/unlock it remotely. Ride-on luggage sounds like an awful idea. I already hate all those darn beeping carts all over the airport although I understand why they're needed for people with limited mobility. The distance between the airport entrance and the gate can seem like miles in some of the bigger airports. The vision of hundreds of people riding all over on motorized bags is just scary.

 

[6miths]

Never heard of them. And yes sounds like just what we need. Love the WALL*E image.

 

[CaptTom]

That video of the people riding the bags in airports doesn't look anything like the conditions I usually encounter. I don't think they'd work very well in most crowded airports.

Then again, having someplace to sit while waiting in the TSA line might be a benefit.

 

[Walt34]

That video of the people riding the bags in airports doesn't look anything like the conditions I usually encounter. I don't think they'd work very well in most crowded airports.

That's what I was thinking too, and then I just figured they did the video at 3:00 AM.

 

[aja8888]

I wonder what an insurance company would think about liability insurance on one? I could just see someone running into a family of young children and a pregnant Mom.