Little-known ban on popular beauty accessory we all travel with

Frequent flyers are being caught out with having to pay $1000 fines for packing this item in their luggage.

As a frequent traveller and travel journalist, I feel I have mastered the art of travelling. I’m no stranger to carry-on restrictions or security screenings, and I’ve got packing my bags down to a fine art.

Travelling with expensive camera gear means I ensure it is safely packed in carry-on, and I even take the batteries out for easy inspection. I’m so used to it, I like to think of myself as a pro-packer.

The latest backpack that fits all you need, I have it. Suitcases that roll so easily they could walk themselves, I’m taking it. From the latest travel gadgets to make life on the move easier, such as pocket power banks, to water bottles that purify water, and even reversible jeans that give you extra outfit options in one, I have them all.

For me, it’s all about convenience, comfort and minimising weight (because no one likes lugging around bags when travelling).

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People are being caught out by the ban. Image: iStock / Supplied

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The travel ban we don't expect

So, when I saw ghd offered a cordless hair straightener that promised to be “Flight Friendly”, I was sold. No longer would my wild hair that turns into a bird’s nest at the mere whisper of the word humidity be an issue while travelling. I could whip out my compact, travel-friendly hair straightener and slick that unruly hair back down where it belonged.

It was sleek, compact, and sold with promises of “hybrid co-lithium technology” and “flight-friendly” status in line with IATA guidelines on carriage of portable electronic devices. Additionally, it fully charges in just two hours and comes with a heat-resistant case for safe storage. And all for a starting price of $475 AUD. It was in my cart and purchased faster than I could say ghd.

Perfect!

I tried it out at home first, and it did everything it promised. So, it was the first thing I packed in my checked-in bag ahead of my trip to New Zealand. I used it daily throughout my week-long adventures around Northland, and when it came time to fly home to Brisbane from Auckland, I had it packed safely in my checked-in bag again.

This is where my lesson in lithium batteries, international regulations – and why even “flight-friendly” doesn’t always mean airline-approved – began.

I returned home to Brisbane and discovered a note in my suitcase from the New Zealand Aviation Security Service, saying they had “confirmed the inspected item was unsuitable for air carriage and the item was removed”, listing 1 ghd Hair Straightener.

I was devastated, not only at the loss of a $475 personal item (gulp), but also that I’d lost my handy travel companion.

Undeterred (and still committed to good hair days on the road), I replaced the confiscated unit with the same model before a trip to Japan. This time, I decided to follow what I believed were IATA-aligned guidelines more closely and packed it in my carry-on bag.

Departing Australia, there was no issue. The straightener passed through security at Brisbane Airport, and I used it during my stay in Tokyo without trouble. But when I went to fly from Haneda to Sapporo, I was stopped at screening. The ghd straightener was swiftly and unapologetically confiscated.

Two hair straighteners down and a day into Hokkaido’s 40-degree summer heat with a frizzy mass of hair, I decided to go sleuth on the subject of ‘what can and cannot be taken on a flight’.

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According to the Aviation Security Service (AvSec) website, they now prohibit certain cordless hair straighteners from being packed in either carry-on or checked baggage — unless they meet specific safety conditions.

Under the new guidelines, cordless styling tools without a flight-safe mode — such as the ghd Unplugged — are no longer allowed on flights from New Zealand. The issue stems from their battery configuration. If a device doesn’t have a way to disconnect the heating element from the battery (either via a removable battery or a flight-safe tag), it poses a potential fire hazard.

By contrast, devices like the Dyson Corrale, which include a flight mode that isolates the battery, are permitted on board — provided the flight-safe tag is removed before travel.

Standard plug-in hair straighteners powered by mains electricity are unaffected by the changes and can continue to travel in both checked and carry-on luggage.

It seems several other airports are following suit, with these updated policies focusing on the fire risk posed by battery-powered heating devices.

Many airlines and airport security agencies have strict and varying rules around battery-powered devices, particularly those containing lithium-ion or lithium-metal batteries, due to fire risk. Even if the device is powered off, certain types of lithium batteries are not allowed in checked baggage at all. And in carry-on luggage, regulations can differ by country and even by airport.

Heat stylers are not allowed. Image: Supplied

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ghd weighs in

When I put my recent experience to ghd customer care, while they were “sorry” for my experience, the decision whether the device can be taken on board or not “rests with individual airlines and airport authorities, whose policies may vary.”

“The ghd unplugged fully complies with IATA guidelines for portable electronic devices,” the statement read.

“As you’ve experienced, some security teams may confiscate devices containing non-removable lithium batteries despite compliance. Unfortunately, this is outside ghd’s control. As outlined in the safety guidelines included in the packaging, we recommend contacting your airline prior to travel for advice on how to carry your ghd unplugged.”

What this experience taught me is that “flight-friendly” doesn’t mean universally accepted. Even if a brand markets a device as compliant with international air travel guidelines, interpretation of those rules can vary dramatically between countries — and airport security has the final say.

Had I known, I likely would’ve saved myself the cost of two cordless straighteners and the inconvenience of dealing with inconsistent enforcement.

For travellers who rely on styling tools, consider packing a corded straightener or one with removable batteries instead. And always check your airline’s dangerous goods information page before packing.

Because the only thing worse than a bad hair day … is losing your favourite straightener to airport security, twice.

Originally published as Little-known ban on popular beauty accessory we all travel with