Can you bring an electric scooter on a plane? (every airline policy checked)

Last Updated on February 10, 2023 by Matt

There might be a time when taking your electric scooter on a plane with you would be very convenient. It sure has happened to me, and I know it is the case for a lot of electric scooter owners worldwide.

To find the answer to whether you can carry an electric scooter on an airplane, I went through every single airline’s website in the world, and checked both the general baggage rules and the prohibited items rules.

person with luggage on an airport watching a plane take off

Almost no companies will allow devices with batteries above 160 Watt-hours on board. Most of the time, if your scooter’s battery is between 100 and 160 Watt-hours, you will need to get permission from the airline to take your scooter on-board.

Refer to the resources below to find out the details for your exact scooter and the airline you’re traveling with. For many of the big airlines, the screenshots of their policies, where they clearly state that electric scooters are not allowed at all, are highlighted in red.

Contents show

What determines if you can take your scooter on a plane?

Whether you can bring the scooter, and what will the transportation process involve, will largely depend on three things:

  • the airline you’re traveling with
  • your scooter model (especially the stored energy of the battery)
  • the place you depart from, and the place you arrive at

In some instances, the following can also be a factor:

  • your ticket type
  • the airplane model

Which airlines allow bringing an electric scooter?

Only the following airlines have not strictly prohibited electric scooters on their flights:

  • Turkish Airlines
  • Qatar Airways
  • S7
  • Lion Air
  • Air India
  • Vietnam Airlines

Common airline rules regarding electric scooters on board

In the process of researching this question, I went through a lot of rules and regulations pages.

When an airline had a way for me to reach their support center without an expensive international call, I went straight to the source and asked them. If nothing of the sort was available, I resorted to asking them on Twitter.

Most airlines simply prohibit the transport of electric scooters altogether, without providing too much explanation.

Some don’t specifically mention electric scooters, but they do say they prohibit all self-balancing devices, electric bikes, hoverboards, and all similar devices, which strongly points to them not permitting scooters neither.

Some airlines do state that they’re respecting a government-mandated limit on battery energy storage of 160 Watt-hours as the reason.

They state the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) limit of 160 Watt-hours as the reason why they prohibit self-balancing personal transportation devices. This is an American government organization, but the rule is very common everywhere in the world.

In case you can’t find the battery energy storage limit for your airline, the following rules will probably apply:

  • you can take your scooter if the battery has an energy storage of up to 100 Watt-hours, without needing previous approval from the airline
  • if the energy storage of your scooter’s battery is larger than 100 Watt-hours, but less than 160 Watt-hours, you will need to get previous approval from the airline for it
  • you can’t take your scooter if the battery has energy storage larger than 160 Watt-hours

These guidelines are from the TSA (find them here), and even though they mostly apply for personal mobility vehicles for people with special needs, they are still the default when it comes to leisure devices as well. The IATA provides similar guidelines in their battery guides document (PDF here).

In any case, it’s better to contact the airline, since they may not allow scooters at all, and their decision will be the final one despite the recommendations from the TSA and the IATA.

Let’s look at an example from Delta Airlines. Here’s what they say about the matter on their website.

To ensure the safety of our customers and employees, Delta will not accept the transport of balance gliders, hoverboards, powered skateboards, motorized riding suitcases and self-balancing boards of any type which use lithium or lithium-ion batteries on board its aircraft. These items are prohibited as both carry-on and checked baggage. Delta reviewed the hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries. These devices often contain battery varieties above the government-mandated 160 Watt-hour limit permitted aboard aircraft. While occurrences are uncommon, these batteries can spontaneously overheat and pose a fire hazard risk.

Delta Restricted Items Rules, Battery Powered Self-Balancing Personal Transportation Device section

Most companies simply prohibit all sorts of self-balancing, self-propelled electronic vehicles.

Some will allow them. But that’s still not good news.

Most batteries on electric scooters today do surpass the limit of 160 Watt-hours, often by a lot.

Some batteries will be within the range, but those are very few, usually older models, or scooters with so little battery power that they’re not even worth dragging around.

Almost all airlines allow electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters on board. For those devices, the limit for the battery is up to 300 Watt-hours. Some, however, limit the total number of those devices they can have in one flight, often two. Plus, those are reserved for people with real mobility needs.

Battery allowance for electric scooters on airplanes

When it comes to airplane travel with electric scooters, the airline is often the biggest limiting factor, and the battery of the scooter is the second biggest one.

Airlines are very strict, almost paranoid even, when it comes to allowing passengers to take devices with batteries on board (and probably rightfully so).

This varies depending on the country or the airline, but typically you will not be able to bring the scooter at all, or you can only bring a device that has a battery smaller than 160 Wh.

That excludes most batteries found in popular scooters today.

Airlines and aviation organizations are hesitant to allow big batteries because they represent a serious fire hazard. These limitations were created to allow most types of consumer electronics like laptops, tablets, phones, and cameras. Sadly, these rules do not take into account most batteries of electric scooters.

Since electric scooters are gaining momentum all around the world, we may see these rules change to accommodate them better.

Until then, the number of electric scooters that are approved for airplane travel will remain relatively small.

For convenience, these are the most common airline associations, whether they allow electric scooters on board at all, and their limits if they do allow them.

North American airlines rules for electric scooters

AirlineAllows electric scooters?
AeroMexicoNo
Air CanadaNo
Alaska AirlinesNo
American AirlinesNo
DeltaNo
Jet BlueNo
SouthwestNo
Spirit AirlinesNo
United AirlinesNo
WestJetNo

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Delta flight?

Delta prohibits all rideables and battery-powered self-balancing transportation devices on board. This very likely includes electric scooters. However, a separate policy applies for medical devices such as wheelchairs and mobility aids, which are allowed up to certain battery size.

You can find this information on the Delta restricted items page.

screenshot of Delta Airlines prohibited items section, highlighted part says that Delta does not allow any kind of rideables
Delta does not transport rideables at all

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Southwest flight?

Southwest doesn’t allow electric rideables, neither in checked nor in carry-on baggage. While they do not specify electric scooters as prohibited, they do list many other rideables with smaller batteries than scooters, which strongly indicates that electric scooters will not be allowed. Power wheelchairs and scooters for medical purposes are allowed.

The information is available on the Southwest special baggage page, under the hoverboards section.

a screenshot of Southwest policy on transporting self-balancing devices, clearly stating that they are not allowed
Southwest don’t allow hoverboards, and since electric scooters have even bigger batteries, they will likely not be allowed neither

Can you bring an electric scooter on a United Airlines flight?

United Airlines doesn’t accept any recreational electrically-powered scooters, self-propelled or self-balancing vehicles for safety reasons. This does not include medical electric vehicles such as wheelchairs and mobility aids.

This information is available on the United Airlines dangerous baggage page.

screenshot of United Airlines prohibited items section, highlighted part saying they don't allow any recreational self-propelled vehicles or devices including electrically powered scooters
United Airlines don’t allow electrically powered scooters

Can you bring an electric scooter on an American Airlines flight?

American Airlines doesn’t allow lithium-ion battery-powered personal transportation devices on board, neither as carry-on nor as checked-in baggage. This doesn’t include mobility aids such as electric wheelchairs, which are allowed on board.

The source of this information is the American Airlines restricted items page.

screenshot of American Airlines prohibited items section, where all kinds of scooters and personal transportation devices are highlighted as not allowed for travel at all
American Airlines prohibit all rideables

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Jet Blue flight?

Jet Blue lists most rideables as prohibited items. While electric scooters are not mentioned specifically, many very similar devices such as balance gliders, hoverboards, electric skateboards, self-balancing devices, and other lithium-ion powered devices are prohibited. That strongly indicates electric scooters might not be allowed as well. Mobility aids are likely allowed.

The source for this information is the Jet Blue prohibited items.

screenshot of Jetblue prohibited items section, where many rideables are highlighted as prohibited
Jetblue don’t explicitly mention scooters, but they do prohibit balance gliders and other very similar devices, which means they probably don’t allow electric scooters too

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Air Canada flight?

Air Canada does not accept small lithium battery-powered vehicles including electric scooters, neither in checked nor in carry-on baggage. This only applies to leisure devices, and not mobility aids and battery-powered medical devices.

This information is available on the Air Canada prohibited items page.

screenshot of Air Canada's battery powered vehicles and devices section, where small lithium battery-powered vehicles are highlighted as not accepted in either checked baggage or carry-on baggage
Air Canada prohibit electric scooters

European airlines rules for electric scooters

AirlineAllows electric scooters?No approval neededApproval needed
Aegean AirlinesNo
AeroflotNo
Air FranceNo
AlitaliaNo
British AirlinesNo
EasyJetNo
FinnairNo
LOTNo
LufthansaNo
Norwegian AirNo
RyanairNo
S7 GroupPossibly yes
SAS GroupNo
TAP PortugalNo
TUINo
Turkish AirlinesYes0 – 100 Wh?
WizzairProbably no

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Ryanair flight?

Ryanair does not allow electric scooters on their flights, no matter their battery size. This does not apply to mobility aids such as electric wheelchairs.

I found this out after speaking with one of their representatives.

screenshot of a chat with a Ryanair Airlines customer support agent, with the question being "Can I take my Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter on board?" and the agent saying "I'm afraid you cannot take it with yourself"
Ryanair had no useful information on their website, but a support agent told me that eletric scooters are not allowed at all

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Wizzair flight?

Wizzair states in their frequently asked questions section that drones and hoverboards are not allowed on board at all, neither in checked-in nor in carry-on baggage. This indicates strongly that the same would apply to electric scooters. Medical devices such as battery-powered wheelchairs are allowed.

This information is available on the Wizzair FAQ page.

screenshot of the Wizair FAQ, section about electronic devices, with the part "No, unfortunately for safety reasons you are not allowed to take such devices neither on board, nor as checked in baggage" highlighted
Wizzair don’t specifically prohibit electric scooters, although they don’t allow very similar electric devices

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Easyjet flight?

Easyjet doesn’t allow any rideable device on board, neither in checked-in nor in carry-on baggage. Mobility devices are allowed in the checked baggage.

This information is available on the EasyJet terms and conditions page.

screenshot of the Easyjet FAQ page with the section about rideables highlighted, saying "Hoverboards, also known as Rideables or Segway boards" and two red crosses next to them, saying they're not allowed neither in checked in nor in carryon luggage
Easyjet don’t allow rideables at all

Can you bring an electric scooter on a British Airlines flight?

British Airlines does not allow electric scooters on board. They list all battery-powered leisure devices, including Segways and electric scooters, as prohibited items. The only exception to this rule applies to wheelchairs and mobility aids for people with reduced mobility, which doesn’t cover electric kick scooters.

The information is available on the British Airlines baggage restrictions page.

British Airlines don’t allow electric scooters onboard

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Lufthansa flight?

Lufthansa doesn’t allow electric scooters. They list all battery-powered means of transportation as prohibited items, regardless of the power capacity of the battery. A different set applies to mobility aids, which are permitted onboard.

This information is available on the Lufthansa dangerous goods page.

screenshot of Lufthansa's prohibited items, with battery-power means of transportation including e-scooters being highlighted as prohibited
Lufthansa explicitly mention that they don’t allow electric scooters

Asian airlines rules for electric scooters

AirlineAllows electric scooters?No approval neededApproval needed
China SouthernNo
China EasternNot specified
Air China GroupNo
EmiratesNo
Qatar AirwaysYes0 – 100 Wh100 – 160 Wh
Hainan AirlinesProbably no
Air Asia GroupNo
IndiGoProbably no
Lion AirMaybe0 – 100 Wh100 – 160 Wh
Air NipponNo
Japan AirlinesNo
Garuda IndonesiaNo
Singapore AirlinesNo
Cathay PacificNo
Air IndiaYes0 – 100 Wh100 – 160 Wh
Korean AirNo
VietJet AirNot specified
Jet AirwaysNot specified
Spice JetNot specified
Vietnam AirlinesYes0 – 100 Wh100 – 160 Wh
Cebu PacificProbably no
Thai AirwaysNo
EtihadNo
Asiana AirlinesNo
Phillipine AirlinesNo
GoAirNot specified
Malaysia AirlinesNo

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Qatar Airways flight?

Qatar Airways allows you to bring your electric scooters on the plane, as long as it’s either under 100 Wh, or it’s under 160 Wh and you get permission from them beforehand.

You can find out more about this on the Qatar Airways restricted baggage page.

screenshot of Qatar Airlines Smart baggage section, where self-propelled baggage is highlighted as possibly accepted if the conditions are met
Qatar Airlines are one of the few airlines that will allow self-propelled baggage, so they should allow scooters with batteries up to 160 Wh

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Emirates flight?

Emirates doesn’t allow any personal motorized vehicle or rideable. They are prohibited in both checked and carry-on baggage. Mobility aids are not included and are allowed on board.

The source for this information is the Emirates dangerous goods policy.

screenshot of Emirates Battery powered wheelchairs and mobility aids section, where Personal motorised vehicles are highlighted as forbidden
Emirates don’t allow personal motorised vehicles, which includes electric scooters

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Chinese airline flight?

Electric self-balancing vehicles are not allowed on any Chinese airline.

This information is available on the Air China Group dangerous goods page.

screenshot of Chinese airlines prohibited items section, where all electric self-balancing vehicles are highlighted as prohibited on the plane
None of the Chinese airlines allow electric scooters onboard

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Air Asia flight?

Air Asia prohibits all battery-powered personal transportation devices, including electric scooters. An exception can be made for electric wheelchairs.

The source of this information is from the Air Asia Group press release on lithium batteries.

screenshot of Air Asia webpage with an announcement about prohibiting lithium battery-powered transportation devices on board
Air Asia explicitly prohibit all lithium-powered transport devices

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Air Japan flight?

Lithium-ion battery-powered personal transportation devices are not allowed, neither in carry-on nor in checked baggage.

This information is available on the Japan Airlines restricted items page.

screenshot of the prohibited items section on the Air Japan website, where electric scooters are highlighted as not allowed for travel
Electric scooters are not allowed on Air Japan

South American airlines rules for electric scooters

AirlineAllows electric scooters?
Copa AirlinesNo
Caribbean AirlinesNo
LATAMNo
GolNo
AviancaNot specified
Azul LinhasNo
Aerolineas ArgentinaNo
Viva Air ColombiaNot specified
TAMENot specified

Can you bring an electric scooter on a LATAM flight?

All electric rideables are forbidden on LATAM flights. Electric mobility aids are the only exception.

This information is available on the LATAM prohibited items page.

screenshot of LATAM's prohibited items webpage, where all electric rideables are highlighted as forbidden
LATAM don’t allow rideables

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Copa Airways flight?

Copa Airlines does not accept recreational mobility devices powered by lithium batteries.

You can check this information on the Copa Airlines restricted baggage page.

screenshot of Copa's prohibited items webpage, where all recreational mobility devices powered by lithium batteries are highlighted as not allowed neither in carry on nor in checked baggage
Copa don’t allow recreational mobility devices with lithium batteries, which means electric scooters are not allowed

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Gol Airlines flight?

GOL Airlines will not transport hoverboards, Segways, or any other kind of self-balancing device. This most likely includes electric scooters.

This information is available on the Gol baggage page.

screenshot of Gol Airlines baggage section, with a highlight on the part that says any kind of self-balancing device is not allowed
Gol Airlines don’t allow self-balancing devices

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Azul flight?

Electric scooters are not allowed on Azul flights. The restriction applies to all flights.

You can check this information on the Azul Linhas checked baggage.

screenshot of Azul's webpage about baggage with the part about scooters being restricted highlighted
Azul doesn’t allow electric scooters on their planes

African airlines rules for electric scooters

AirlineAllows electric scooters?
Ethiopean AirlinesNo
Egypt AirNo
Royal Air MarocNo
South African AirwaysNo
Kenya AirwaysProbabaly no
TunisairNot specified

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Royal Air Maroc flight?

Lithium-battery powered devices are marked as prohibited on Royal Air Maroc flights. Electric scooters are not specified, but many similar and less powerful devices are mentioned, which indicates scooters will not be allowed either.

You can find out more on the Royal Air Maroc special baggage page.

screenshot of Royal Air Maroc prohibited items section, where lithium-battery powered devices are highlighted as prohibited
All lithium-powered devices are prohibited on Royal Air Maroc

Can you bring an electric scooter on a Kenya Airways flight?

Kenya Airways does not say anything about electric scooters on their flights. They do not accept electric bicycles, and it is very likely the same applies to electric scooters.

You can find out more about this at the Kenya Airways special baggage page.

screenshot of Kenya Airways webpage for baggage, with a highlight saying that Electric Bicycles are not accepted
Kenya Airways only says electric bicycles are not accepted. They say nothing about scooters, but we can assume that the same applies for them too.

Can you bring an electric scooter on an Ethiopian Airlines flight?

Lithium battery-powered vehicles that are not mobility aids are prohibited as both checked and carry-on baggage.

The source of this information is the Ethiopian Airlines restricted items page.

screenshot of the prohibited items section of Ethiopian Airlines, where lithium battery powered vehicles are highlighted as prohibited
Ethiopian Airlines prohibit all rideables

International rules regarding electric scooters on airplanes

As you can see, most airlines just outright prohibit electric scooters in baggage altogether.

If your airline is not on one of these lists, or if you want to double-check, you can search for their specific limitations.

If your airline allows scooters, and your scooter is within the 100 – 160 Watt-hours bracket, you will need to contact your airline and get approval for your electric scooter before the flight.

You will likely have to check your scooter as a separate piece of luggage, and pack it in a certain way which we will explain below.

You also need to keep in mind whether the dimensions of your folded scooter fit into the allowed dimensions for extra luggage pieces, and how much does it weight so that you can calculate the extra costs.

Your research will be done when you know all the following things:

  • if your airline allows electric kick scooters to be brought at all
  • if the battery energy storage of your scooter is within the battery energy storage limit of your airline (usually 160 Watt-hours)
  • if the dimensions of your scooter when folded are within the allowed dimensions for checked luggage
  • if you have the final approval from your airline to bring your scooter (when your battery energy storage is between 100 Watt-hours and 160 Watt-hours)

As you can see, the research is not at all simple, and you still may end up with the wrong answer. That’s why I recommend speaking to your airline directly, they should give you a better answer.

Airline approved scooters

For convenience, here’s a list of the battery energy storage values for the most popular scooters today, ordered from the smallest energy storage to the largest.

Electric scooterEnergy Storage (Wh)
Viro Rides 84
E Micro Falcon X390
Razor E9090
Razor Ecosmart108
Razor EPrime115
Razor E100120
Razor E200?
JDBug158
Razor E300168
GoTrax GXL Commuter187
Ninebot ES2187
Megawheels S5208
Swagtron 5 Elite216
Kugoo Pro216
Phaewo216
Levy230
Turboant X7230
Glion Dolly238
Maxwheel MX1275
Xiaomi M365280
Unagi E450282
Unagi Model One282
Ecoreco S5288
Ecoreco M5288
Boosted Rev370
Ninebot ES4374
Mercane Widewheel422
X-treme City Rider432
Techlife X6468
Xiaomi M365 Pro474
Tarsa T9480
iMax S1480
Ninebot Max551
Uberscoot 1600576
Scrooser 728
Inokim OX780

As you can see, most of them wouldn’t fit the limit even if more airlines allowed them onboard.

If you are interested to learn exactly which models are allowed, by exactly which airlines, and which of those models are the best, check out the guide on airline-approved electric scooters.

I didn’t list many scooters priced at above $1000, since they almost all without exception will exceed the limit by a lot.

Can you take Xiaomi M365 Pro on an airplane?

The Xiaomi M365 Pro has a 474 Wh battery, and no airline will allow you to take a battery of that capacity on the plane, neither in checked nor in carry-on baggage.

Can you take Xiaomi M365 on an airplane?

The 280 Wh battery of the Xiaomi M365, while smaller than the Pro’s battery, is still too large to be allowed on an airplane. No airline will let you bring the Xiaomi M365, neither in checked nor in carry-on baggage.

There is one potential hack for the Xiaomi M365 that may sometimes work with some airlines. Read on to for the details.

Electric scooters vs mobility aids on airplanes

Battery-powered mobility aids such as electric wheelchairs are allowed on airplanes.

This has been a frequent source of confusion in the electric scooter community. Many scooterists only take a surface look at the battery allowance rules, which only apply to mobility aids, or smaller devices such as laptops.

Still, those battery rules have led many to believe that they apply for electric scooters as well. Even though the TSA and the IATA recommend allowing batteries of up to 160 Wh, almost every airline clearly states in their rules that electric scooters and rideables are just not allowed. Of course, the specific rules come before the general ones, so the TSA and IATA guidelines are mostly void.

How to find out if your scooter is allowed on an airplane

From my experience, it’s best if you can speak to a human and ask if you can bring your scooter. This is by far the simplest way to find out, and you will soon see why.

I really recommend avoiding doing your own research online unless you absolutely have to. You may easily end up with a wrong answer, and suffer great amounts of stress. It’s not fun when you’re at the airport and you realize that you can’t take your scooter with you.

When speaking to someone from the airline, make sure you explicitly say that you have an electric kick scooter that is not a mobility vehicle. It is an important distinction.

If the company has no such type of customer support, or they only have call centers that require expensive international phone calls that you don’t want to make, you can do the research yourself.

What is your electric scooter battery size?

It’s best if you start with your scooter’s battery storage, since this will almost always be a limiting factor.

Often, the manual that came with your scooter will contain this information. If you don’t have your manual handy, simply Google your scooter’s model in combination with one of the following keywords:

  • battery specs
  • battery energy storage
  • specs
  • user manual (look for the specs, and then look into the “battery” section)

You will often find the battery’s energy storage expressed clearly in watt hours (Wh).

specifications page of the manual for the Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter with the battery rated capacity highlighted
The manual of Xiaomi M365 Pro, clearly expressing the battery energy storage in Wh

Alternatively, you may find the battery’s voltage, expressed in volts (V) and the battery’s capacity, expressed in Ampere hours (Ah). Simply multiply the capacity in Ampere-hours (Ah) to the voltage in volts.

1 V * 1 Ah = 1 Wh

Voltage times capacity equals energy storage

The result is the battery’s energy storage in Watt-hours, which is the value we’re after. You can also use the following battery calculators for convenience:

specifications page of the manual for the Glion Dolly electric scooter with the battery voltage and capacity highlighted and showing how to calculate the battery energy storage capacity
The manual of Glion Dolly shows the battery voltage and capacity, this is how you calculate the energy storage with those values

If this value is bigger than 160 Watt-hours, you will likely not be able to take your scooter with you.

Chances are, if you’ve bought an electric scooter for an adult in the past 3 years, its battery will be beyond the common limit of 160 Wh.

Find out if the airline allows electric scooters on board

After you get your scooter’s battery energy storage, you will have to see what your airline has to say about it.

Googling your airline’s name plus the phrase “prohibited items” or “restricted items” is your best bet.

You can try your airline’s name + “can I bring electric scooter” or some variant of it, but you will usually end up with the rules for the electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters. The electric kick scooters do not fall into that category, so you will only get confused. Expect heavy resistance if you try to argue with the airlines on this one.

After you find the prohibited items list, use the search function to search for some of the following phrases in the document you will find:

  • scooter
  • smart
  • self-balancing
  • balancing
  • self-propelled
  • propelled
  • electric
  • electronic
  • lithium
  • transportation device
  • hoverboard
  • segway
  • bike
  • bicycle

See if you find anything relating to electric scooters. Again, be careful not to get confused with electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters, those rules do not apply for electric kick scooters.

There are some companies that just don’t allow electric kick scooters, period. Choose an airline that allows electric scooters if you want to have a shot at bringing your scooter next time.

Electric scooters may not be outright prohibited, but the battle is far from won. You will need to look for the maximum allowed battery energy storage on electric devices.

What to do if your airline doesn’t allow electric scooters on the plane?

There are two potential hacks you can try even if your airline doesn’t allow electric scooters on board. Those are trying to present the electric scooter as a mobility vehicle, and taking out the battery and splitting it if the capacity is right for that.

To be clear, I don’t recommend doing any of these. My personal view is that bringing an electric scooter on an airplane is still too difficult and not worth the effort. But if you are determined, or simply have no other information, you can try one of these two hacks.

Present your electric scooter as a personal mobility device

Before we continue, let me be clear that I really don’t recommend this option.

The hack involves trying to persuade the employees of the airline to let you take your scooter under the pretense that it’s a mobility aid, which it clearly isn’t.

Not only will you probably have to argue with the employees (and probably not win the argument), but airlines often have limited capacity for mobility vehicles on their flights. So your scooter may literally take the place of someone that really needs to bring a mobility aid, like an electric wheelchair.

However, I have read that some people have tried this, and some have even made it work. It is against the rules of most airlines, but it can work, so my job is to inform you of this as a potential method.

Split your battery in two if it’s under 300 Wh

This is like a subcase of the point above, as you will first need to cross that barrier and let the airline employees take your scooter on board in the first place.

Then you will be met with the battery size challenge. As mentioned, you can only take batteries of up to 160 Wh capacity. However, some airlines allow up to two batteries, as long as they don’t exceed 300 Wh in total. This means, if your scooter’s battery is more than 160 Wh (which it probably will be), but under 300 Wh, you can split it into two and take it with you.

How do you split a battery for carrying on an airplane?

You need to take it out of the scooter (which already may void your warranty), split it into two parts, put each in a plastic ziplock bag, and put tape over any exposed contact points.

Keep in mind that splitting the battery is not easy, and it does require some experience with electronics. Plus, it’s possible that you’re still not allowed to bring the scooter at all.

All in all, this can be too much pain for most people, but it may work for transporting a Xiaomi M365, which has a 280 Wh battery.

How do you take an electric scooter on a plane?

Again, your best bet here is talking to your airline.

You can check this yourself, but you may end up getting the wrong information. These things often get confusing.

You can expect the following:

  • you may have to check in your scooter as a separate piece of luggage
  • you may have to check it as sports equipment or an unusual or bulky item
  • you will probably have to remove the battery, seal it in a protective bag, and take it in your carry-on luggage
  • you will likely have to pack the scooter in a specific way, probably a ziplock bag with the contact points sealed with tape
  • you will likely have to pay extra, especially if it’s on the heavy side

As you probably know, the dimensions of the scooter, even when folded, make it a hardly portable item. I would be surprised if they let you take it as your carry-on luggage.

Be aware that the scooter can be easily damaged if placed in the checked-in luggage.

How do you transport an electric scooter?

This is a quick checklist on how to pack your scooter safely:

  • turn off your scooter
  • close the charging port
  • fold the kickstand
  • fold and lock the scooter
  • fold any other parts that can be folded
  • remove accessories like phone holders and similar
  • put tape or bubble wrap around it
  • add extra layers around vulnerable parts like throttle or screen
  • put it in a waterproof bag
  • make sure nothing sticks out

Start by making sure your scooter is turned off. This greatly reduces the risk of the battery going on fire.

Also, if your scooter has a cap on the charger port, close it firmly.

Chances are, you will have to remove the battery and take it with you in your carry-on.

Naturally, you will need to fold your scooter, and locking it is a good idea too.

If there are other parts that can be folded in a way to reduce the total volume of the scooter, do that as well, like folding the kickstand.

It may be smart to remove some unnecessary parts, accessories, or customizations to further reduce volume and mass. The phone holder on the handlebar is an example of this.

Electric scooters are best transported in bags designed for that purpose. They enclose the entire scooter, so that its sticking parts don’t get tangled up with other things. Usually, these bags are waterproof, and they also protect the scooter from damage, dirt, and dust.

There are many things that can go wrong with checked-in baggage. Turbulence or irresponsible handling can easily damage your scooter. While you can often get reimbursed by the airline for this, it’s better to avoid the issue entirely.

I suggest adding a layer of protective packaging to the scooter before putting it in a bag, or packing it as a fragile item.

Use tape or bubble wrap, or both. Add extra layers around the throttle and the LED screen just in case, they are easily damaged during transportation.

Why take your scooter on a plane?

Traveling with your electric scooter is made almost impossible by airline companies.

However, in my opinion, taking the scooter on a plane is not very practical in the first place. Why drag a 15+ kg of luggage, pay extra for it, pack it differently, and risk getting it damaged, when you can rent a scooter for just a few dollars almost wherever you go?

Unless you’re moving or will stay for a longer time, it’s much better to travel without your electric scooter.

What to do if you can’t bring your scooter on a plane?

If your destination is not very far, consider other means of transport. Trains are a lot more fun than planes, and they don’t have any limitations for electric scooters.

If you must move your electric scooter and you can’t find a suitable airline, your best option is to send it with a cargo plane or by a delivery service. Pack your scooter as a fragile item and as described above.

Finally, keep in mind that many cities today already have rental scooter companies such as Lime and Bird, which can get the job done for a few days.


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Matt standing next to his Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter and holding an electric scooter helmet
My name is Matt Trajkovski. I love electric scooters, and electric vehicles in general. I like doing a lot of testing, reviewing, and research on various electric scooter models and brands, looking for great value and performance, both through data and experience. All of the content published on this blog goes through a rigorous review and editorial process, and our product reviews not only include the hands-on experience of our own team members, but the experience of our audience members as well. My goal is to provide you with the best information about electric scooters possible. You can see all of my posts in my articles archive.

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