A traveller has warned about a little-known airport rule after making a $515 mistake.
Ellie Tran was flying from South Korea to Sydney when her ghd Unplugged hair straightener was unexpectedly confiscated at Incheon Airport.
She had travelled out of Australia with her cordless hair styling tool packed in her checked luggage without any issues.
However, on her return home to Sydney, her experience took a stressful turn.
‘I felt quite confused due to the lack of clear information and the inconsistencies in regulations within different airports and airlines,’ Ellie told Daily Mail.
‘The hair straightener was in my checked luggage. I’ve travelled multiple times previously with the same ghd packed this way and had never encountered any issues until this incident.
‘I brought my hair straightener from Sydney to Incheon Airport fine, no problems. But when I came back, the baggage inspection people told me I had to throw it out.’
Ellie said she was whisked away into a private room where an airport security officer explained she wasn’t allowed to fly with the hair straightener because its built-in lithium-ion battery was not removable.
Ellie Tran was flying from South Korea to Sydney when her ghd Unplugged cordless hair straightener was unexpectedly confiscated at Incheon Airport
She was upset about having to part with her ‘ride or die’ ghd hair tool, saying: ‘I bawled at the airport but life moves on.’
‘I just can’t believe I had to throw it out at Incheon Airport,’ Ellie added.
If a cordless device has no way of disconnecting its heating element from the battery, it can pose a significant fire hazard on board.
Wireless hair straighteners are allowed on board – but only if they feature a flight-safe mode or a removable battery. Corded straighteners are safe for flying.
On its website, ghd advises travellers to check airline requirements before flying with one of its cordless tools.
‘If travelling by air, please be aware certain countries have restrictive requirements regarding batteries in checked-in and carry-on luggage. Please contact your airline to check requirements before travel,’ it said.
Certain countries such as New Zealand and Japan have strict requirements regarding batteries in checked-in and carry-on luggage.
Ellie decided to share her experience on social media so other flyers don’t make the same mistake when travelling with a cordless gadget.
‘I think there’s a lot of talk around it right now because people don’t really know if it’s allowed in carry-on or checked luggage,’ she said in her video.
‘From what I’ve gathered, I think it’s best that you don’t bring it at all, or if you can, get one that has a removable battery.
‘Double check with your airline because each airline seems to have different guidelines.’
She had travelled out of Australia with her $515 hair styling tool packed in her checked luggage without any issues. However, on her return home to Sydney, her experience took a stressful turn (file image of Incheon Airport)
Speaking to Daily Mail, she said she hopes everyone can ‘travel feeling more informed and avoid unnecessary stress or confusion when flying with similar items’.
‘Moving forward, I plan to stick to wired hair tools when travelling, or look for options with removable batteries, as this seems to be a consistent requirement mentioned across several airline FAQs,’ she said.
After the trip, she decided to replace her tool in the meantime with a $19 cordless straightener from Kmart, which she was quite impressed with after testing at home.
‘This is really good,’ she said.
After sharing her story, some revealed they had no idea cordless hair straighteners could pose a serious risk when flying.
‘I always fly with mine internationally and there’s never an issue,’ one shared, along with a crying emoji.
‘You can’t bring straighteners on planes?’ another asked in disbelief.
Meanwhile, many shared they learnt the hard way after their wireless hair straighteners were confiscated at airports.
‘I know how it feels. I had a similar experience at an airport in Japan due to the battery being inside. Mine didn’t cost as much as yours but it definitely sucked not being able to take it back with you,’ one said.
‘Same thing happened to me in Japan. I had to throw it out on the way OUT of Japan. It was $180. I just repurchased the same one,’ another added.
‘They tried to do this with me at Incheon Airport as well with my Dyson. I told them I had already checked with Singapore Airlines but they said the rules have changed. I told them to check again and they did. They let me fly with it. Never flying with a cordless hair straightener again,’ one revealed.
