Is inReach Mini 2 allowed on airplane?

9345475 13 days ago

Should I put in checked or carry on? I’m afraid of getting to security and then finding out I can’t bring it. Even worse, at the conclusion of my trip tsa won’t let me board with it for the trip home. TSA website says individual screening locations have the discretion to not allow it. I’m flying from lower 48 to Alaska and back. Has anyone had problems recently with transporting inReach on commercial flights? Thank you.

0 Volker 13 days ago

"Is My Device TSA Approved?

Yes, according to TSA.gov navigation GPS devices are allowed. It is recommended that they are powered off and stored in your carry on or checked bag. Garmin recommends checking with the airline or TSA officer ahead of time as they make the final decision."

Frequently Asked Questions About Traveling Internationally With a Garmin inReach Device | Garmin Customer Support

But I would not ask the TSA officer...

0 chrisallennc 13 days ago

I bring mine in my carry on and haven't ever had an issue, including traveling internationally. Carry on and not checked because of the lithium-ion battery in the device https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/portable-electronic-devices-with-batteries. Even if the battery wasn't a factor I'd still keep it in carry on because it'd be a pain to replace if the checked bag doesn't make it and usually it's a necessary piece of equipment I'm planning to have for a reason if I'm traveling with it.

Obviously if you're traveling to a country where they're regulated or prohibited all bets are off no matter where you store it. https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=Dq3CEPZjfRAhtToGD4Yrz9

0 6125703 13 days ago in reply to Volker

I think navigation devices are a red herring. An inReach device is primarily an Iridium satellite communication device. The closest comparison would be Iridium satellite phones.

In a sane world, it is the lithium-ion battery is the main concern. But airlines might still have vestiges of their old worry about any radio transmitter, even though countless devices are using wifi, bluetooth, and maybe accidentally searching for regular cell signals on most flights.

The other issue would be if an airline mistakes inReach for an EPIRB and has some other worry about sending false emergency signals from their aircraft. But, I don't think an inReach actually has any beacon function. It just send a text message even if it is triggered on the flight. It would be up to the Garmin dispatch center to triage that strange SOS.

0 skyeye 8 days ago in reply to 6125703

we are using inreach devices since 1916 intensively. As it is a Li battery, it travels in hand carried in general.

We had never any problems or questions to it. In some rare situations we did use it in fact as communication media during the flight.