Key facts
- EU countries approved a compromise deal to overhaul air passenger rights.
- The new rules will affect baggage fees, compensation claims, and airline seating policies.
- Airlines must include a trolley bag in the basic airfare and cannot charge parents to sit with children under 14.
- Passengers will retain compensation rights of €250 to €600 for flight cancellations or delays of at least three hours.
- Airlines must provide clear instructions on how to submit compensation claims.
- The definition of 'extraordinary circumstances' was revised to exclude unexpected technical equipment failures.
EU countries have approved a compromise deal to overhaul air passenger rights, a move that will impact baggage fees, compensation claims, and airline seating rules. The agreement, reached after years of negotiations between the Cyprus Council presidency and the European Parliament, was backed by a large majority of member states, with only Spain and Latvia voting against, and Austria and Finland abstaining.
The new rules are expected to take effect in the second half of 2027. Consumer rights advocates, like Agustín Reyna of the European Consumer Organisation, view the deal as enshrining key compensation rights into law. However, airlines, represented by Ourania Georgoutsakou of Airlines for Europe, expressed dissatisfaction, calling the compromise "bad law" that infringes on existing consumer protection rules without addressing the root causes of delays and cancellations.
Key changes include requiring airlines to include a trolley bag in the basic airfare, though passengers can opt out for a discount. Airlines will also be prohibited from charging fees to seat parents with children under 14, or passengers with disabilities with their companions, together. Compensation rules for delays and cancellations largely remain unchanged, with passengers entitled to €250 to €600 depending on flight length. For flights over 3,500 kilometers, compensation will be €300 for delays of three to four hours, and €600 for delays exceeding four hours or for cancellations.
Negotiations were particularly contentious regarding the ease of filing compensation claims. The final agreement requires airlines to provide passengers with "clear instructions on how to submit a request" for compensation, falling short of Parliament's push for pre-filled forms or direct links. The definition of "extraordinary circumstances" was also revised to exclude events not inherent to the airline's activity and beyond their control, such as extreme weather, but notably excludes "unexpected flight safety shortcomings on aircraft equipment."
Compensation will be paid directly to passengers, but claim agencies will also continue to receive payments on behalf of passengers, a provision successfully pushed by the Parliament.