A traveler recently shared a cautionary tale about an obscure airport regulation that ended up costing her $515.

Ellie Tran was on her way from South Korea to Sydney when officials at Incheon Airport seized her ghd Unplugged hair straightener.

She had previously flown out of Australia with the same cordless styling device stowed in her checked baggage without any problems.

However, her return trip was marred by an unexpected complication.

“My hair straightener was packed in my checked luggage. I’ve traveled several times before with this exact ghd stored similarly and never faced any issues until now,” Ellie revealed to the Daily Mail.

‘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 taken to a private room where an airport security officer told her the hair straightener couldn’t go on the plane because the potentially flammable  lithium-ion battery was built-in and 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 parting with her ‘ride or die’ $515 ghd hair tool, saying: ‘I bawled at the airport but life moves on.’

‘I just can’t believe I had to throw it out,’ she said.

‘I felt quite confused due to the lack of clear information and the inconsistencies in regulations within different airports and airlines.’

If a cordless device has no way of disconnecting its heating element from the battery, it can pose a significant fire hazard, particularly in the cargo hold where a fire can take hold before being noticed. 

Wireless hair straighteners are only allowed on board if they have 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.

‘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 bought 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 and were at risk of confiscation. 

‘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 too learned 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.