China Southern: can you take a vape, lighter and cigarettes on board?

China Southern's General Conditions of Carriage list "electronic smoking devices (e.g., e-cigarettes)" among the items carried as non-checked baggage only. A vape therefore belongs in your cabin bag and not in your suitcase. The same document says lithium-battery devices must be protected against damage and unintentional activation, and that each person may carry up to 15 portable electronic devices and up to 20 spare batteries of 100 Wh or less, none of them in checked baggage.

The airline's pages do not mention heated-tobacco devices such as IQOS, so whether China Southern treats them like e-cigarettes is not stated. They contain a battery, so carry them in the cabin and do not use them. Our general guide to vapes on planes covers batteries and e-liquid.

China Southern's dangerous goods FAQ answers the question directly: "No, the lighter and match are inflammable, explosive and dangerous goods which can not be carried and checked." The conditions of carriage repeat it by listing matches and lighters among flammable solids, and gun-type lighters among controlled items.

This is stricter than the rule many airlines apply outside China, which lets you keep one small lighter on your person. If you fly China Southern, leave the lighter behind or hand it in before the security check. Our guide to lighters on planes compares the regulators.

The conditions of carriage allow power banks for personal use only and never in checked baggage. A power bank above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh needs the airline's approval, with no more than 2 such units; above 160 Wh is prohibited. In the cabin it must not sit in a bag in the overhead bin: keep it in the seat-back pocket or in a bag under the seat. It must stay switched off, and you may not use it to charge a device or charge it from the aircraft. Charging in breach of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's announcement counts as disturbance behaviour.

China Southern states no quantity limit for cigarettes or tobacco. What counts is the duty-free allowance of the country where you land. See the China rules page for the Chinese allowance and vape quota, and the pages for popular routes: Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The conditions of carriage say all China Southern flights are non-smoking, and that smoking a cigarette, an electronic cigarette or a similar product is prohibited in all areas of the aircraft. Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, and using kindling materials appear in the airline's list of disturbance behaviour. The crew can stop and restrain the passenger and require them to leave the aircraft before take-off or after landing, and if the person sets off a smoke alarm by smoking, China Southern may call the police and hand the matter to the public security authorities.

The conditions do not state a fine amount for smoking on board, so none is given here.

China Southern's main hub is Guangzhou. Our page for Guangzhou Baiyun International lists the smoking areas we hold for it, with their status. Check it before you clear security, since you cannot smoke again until you land, and remember the lighter ban if you need a light before you go through.