Boise Travelers: 2 Big Rule Changes You Need to Know Before Summer Flights

As the potato dropped on New Year’s Eve, you told yourself 2025’s going to be your year. Six months in? Well, it’s not going quite the way you envisioned and now you’re just trying to survive until the day your summer vacation begins. 

You’ve got those dates circled in bold red ink and they seem like the light at the end of the tunnel. With how burned out you’re feeling, you need travel day to go as smoothly as possible. Luckily, security at the Boise airport is rarely a nightmare. The airport’s investment in computed tomography scanners has really improved the amount of time you spend going through TSA screening.

READ MORE: 19 Items Absolutely Banned From Checked Bags at the Boise Airport

The technology in the scanners allows passengers to keep electronics, travel sized liquids and foods in their carry-on or personal item during screening. 

United Airlines Quietly Updates Check-In Policies

While TSA lines at Boise Airport (BOI) may be quicker these days, there is a new speed bump that you could run into with your airline carrier, especially if you’re flying with United. According to the Bureau of Transportation, United was the airline of choice for about 383,000 Boise passengers over the past year. 

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Travelers may be surprised to learn that United Airlines recently updated its check-in policy at Boise Airport. The change quietly went into effect on Tuesday, June 3. Under the new policy, all travelers, whether they have checked luggage or not, must check in for their domestic flights no less than 45 minutes before the scheduled departure. 

That’s 15 minutes earlier than the previous cutoff. Failing to abide by the new cutoff may result in you being denied boarding. That’s not the way you want to start your much-needed summer escape. 

Another Popular Boise Airport Airline Makes Policy Change

United isn’t the only airline at the Boise Airport to make a policy change as summer travel season kicks into high gear. Southwest, BOI’s second largest airline, quietly updated a policy regarding an item that is commonly found in passengers’ carry-on bags. 

Kiplinger reports that beginning on May 28, Southwest no longer allows passengers to use portable chargers or power banks while they’re inside carry-on bags or inside an overhead bin. Those products contain lithium-ion batteries, which may experience something called thermal runaway which could cause the battery to catch fire. 

What's The Problem With Portable Chargers?

That’s why the TSA bans lithium-ion batteries from checked luggage. With many travelers preferring mobile boarding passes, they know that these products are important but they'd rather have them in the cabin where flight crews are trained in how to handle a fire if one occurs.

If you think “this never happens,” you’re incorrect. The Federal Aviation Administration shares detailed records of lithium battery incidents on planes on their website. These events involve smoke, fire or extreme heat. 

Since March 2006, there have been 626 verified incidents. Nearly 39% of them were related to battery packs or batteries. e-Cigarettes, cellular phones and laptops have also led to lithium battery air incidents. 

With airline policies shifting quickly, Idaho travelers should be wise and review their carrier’s latest policies before heading to the airport.