I read this on the TSA website, do I have to follow this with my loose rechargeable AA batteries? Do I need to separate the batteries? How should I pack them?Place each battery in its own protective case, plastic bag, or package, or place tape across the battery's contacts to isolate terminals. Isolating terminals prevents short-circuiting.
If you have the original 4 pack, 6 pack, 8 pack in which the batteries came packaged, then put the batteries into that, and tape it closed. If not, then just wrap a piece of tape around the group of batteries to hold them together, then put a piece of tape across one end of that entire group. Does not matter which end. If you have lots of batteries, then you may want to make two or more groups. The point is to prevent any possibility of a short circuit and either a spark, or a battery becoming very hot through a very fast power drain. If you tape over all of the positive terminals, for instance, that cannot happen. Once you do that, you can pack them in either carry on or checked bags.