Are certain batteries SAFER than others? ( for air travel )

[EDV]

I'm relatively new to using Anton Bauer batteries, but I was just reading about how Hytrons ( Nickel Metal Hydride ) are safer for air travel whereas lithium batteries ( Red Brick batteries and laptop batteries ) are considered dangerous and sometimes banned from planes. In my latest trip I carried my laptop on the plane and nobody said anything ( many other passengers also had laptops ) I'm just wondering how documentary filmmakers carry their equipment given the aforementioned restrictions. Are AB Hytrons the better choice for air travel or can pros get away with anything?

 

[Andrius Simutis]

Look it up on the TSA site and they'll have the latest details, but the short version is that Lithium batteries are usually ok to be carried on but not ok in checked luggage. On some rare occasions lithium batteries have caught fire and if that happens while in flight it can be disastrous.
The reality though, is that you are subject to the whims and interpretations of each airline in each country. A friend had to leave his strobe battery pack behind in Japan after they said he couldn't fly home with it. It was an old Lead acid type which should have been fine, but he didn't have documentation in Japanese showing that and after they said "No" there was no going back no matter what he said. Camera batteries are usually ok and not even noticed by the airline staff. Maybe they'd notice if you're bringing a dozen big battery bricks, but any prosumer battery pack with a camera won't even raise an eyebrow.
Oh yeah, don't check your gear if you can avoid it at all, so that goes for your batteries too.