EU Strengthens Air Passenger Rights: What Will Change with Baggage, Compensation, and Flight Delays

The EU Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on June 15, 2026, on a large-scale update of air passenger protection rules. For travelers, the main points are that the right to compensation for delays of three hours or more is maintained, the base ticket price must include carry-on baggage more transparently, and filing a claim with the airline should become easier.

This is one of the most important changes for European air travel in many years. Current passenger protection rules have been in place since 2004, but the aviation market has radically changed since then: low-cost carriers have become a mass way of traveling, additional fees for baggage and seat selection have become a separate part of the tariff model, and passengers increasingly buy tickets through intermediaries, mobile apps, and aggregators. That is why the reform is important not only for lawyers or airlines, but for anyone flying in Europe for vacation, work, family, or transfers.

The agreement is not yet a final law. The text must undergo legal-linguistic refinement and formal approval by the European Parliament and the EU Council. However, a political breakthrough has already occurred: after 13 years of negotiations, the institutions have agreed on a framework that should make passenger rights clearer and the procedures for obtaining assistance and compensation less exhausting.

What Exactly Was Agreed in the EU

The key news for passengers is that compensation for significant delays was not weakened as consumer organizations feared. According to the EU Council, a passenger can claim compensation if the flight arrives more than three hours later than scheduled or if the flight is canceled less than 14 days before departure. Compensation amounts remain close to the current model: 250 euros for flights up to 1500 km, 400 euros for intra-European flights or flights from 1500 to 3500 km, and 600 euros for other longer routes.

This is especially important for tourists who often build their trip from several elements: flight ticket, hotel, transfer, rental car, event tickets, or subsequent rail travel. A delay of three to four hours can break an entire travel day, and sometimes even cause an additional overnight stay. Maintaining the three-hour threshold means that passenger protection will not be pushed back to only very long delays.

Another important block concerns carry-on baggage and tariff transparency. According to the agreement, airlines, intermediaries, and search services must show the tariff with allowed carry-on baggage from the start of booking, so that passengers can honestly compare prices between carriers. This does not mean that all tariffs will become identical or that airlines will lose the right to offer cheaper options without baggage. On the contrary, carriers can offer discounts to those who voluntarily fly without a carry-on suitcase. But the basic comparison must be less confusing.

Why the Carry-on Baggage Issue Became So Acute

For many travelers, the price of a flight ticket in Europe has long ceased to be just the price of the flight. Especially on short routes, a passenger often sees an attractive starting amount, but during booking encounters surcharges for larger carry-on baggage, seat selection, boarding passes, priority boarding, or changing data in the ticket. In the end, a ticket that initially seemed cheap may turn out not to be so profitable if the person is flying not with one small bag, but with a suitcase for several days.

That is why the new rules on displaying the tariff with carry-on baggage make practical sense. They help the tourist assess the full cost of the trip before purchase, rather than after the route has already been chosen. For families flying on vacation, this can be a noticeable difference, as every additional fee is multiplied by the number of passengers. For travelers with transfers, it is also important that different airlines sometimes have different rules regarding the size and weight of bags, so more transparent display of conditions reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises at the airport.

At the same time, passengers should not perceive the reform as permission to take any baggage on board without restrictions. Airlines will continue to have rules regarding size, safety, and cabin capacity. If the overhead bin is full or the baggage does not meet the standards, it may be sent to the cargo hold. Therefore, after the new rules come into force, it will still be necessary to carefully read the conditions of the specific carrier.

Compensation and Claims Should Become Simpler

A separate part of the agreement concerns how a passenger receives information about their rights and how they file a claim for compensation. The airline must electronically notify the passenger about their rights and provide clear instructions on how to submit a request after a delay or cancellation, if the situation may entitle them to compensation. According to the agreement, the passenger will have nine months to file a claim, and the airline must confirm receipt of the request and within 30 days either pay the compensation or clearly explain the refusal.

This is an important change, because today many passengers do not exercise their rights not because of a lack of grounds, but because of the complexity of the process. A person may not know if their flight falls under EU rules, where to write, what documents to attach, and how long to wait for a response. Because of this, an entire market of intermediary companies has formed that help collect compensation for a share of the amount. If the procedure becomes clearer, some passengers will be able to act independently.

The reform also clarifies the concept of extraordinary circumstances. An airline can refuse financial compensation if it proves that the delay or cancellation was caused by events beyond its control and directly related to the flight disruption. Such circumstances may include, for example, war, dangerous weather, natural disasters, unruly passenger behavior, or strikes by services that are not part of the carrier's normal operations. However, the burden of proof remains with the airline: simply referring to a difficult situation will not be enough.

Assistance During Delays: Food, Communication, and Hotel

In addition to money after the incident, the new rules detail the assistance during the delay itself. According to the agreement, passengers should receive drinks or snacks every two hours of waiting, meals after three hours and thereafter at defined intervals, internet access, and the ability to make two phone calls. If an overnight stay is required due to the disruption, the airline must provide a hotel and transport between the airport and the place of residence.

For a tourist, this is not a trifle. During mass disruptions at large hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt, Madrid-Barajas or Barcelona-El Prat, a passenger can spend many hours in the terminal, and finding a hotel at the last moment can be difficult. If the carrier does not provide proper assistance, the passenger can organize it independently and then demand reimbursement, but for this, they must keep receipts, booking confirmations, and correspondence with the airline.

Before the trip, it is useful to have the online board page of your airport handy. For example, for transfers and early departures, it is useful to check the CDG flight board, the Amsterdam AMS board or the Frankfurt FRA board. This does not replace airline notifications, but helps to see the trend faster: whether only your flight is delayed or the problem is wider.

Families, Passengers with Disabilities, and Boarding Passes

The agreement also strengthens the protection of passengers for whom air travel depends especially on ground organization. Families with children should get the right to sit together without additional payment: a person accompanying a child under 14 years old must sit next to them. Similar logic applies to passengers with disabilities or limited mobility, as well as to pregnant travelers in certain situations.

For passengers with limited mobility, the new framework provides additional rights to assistance, priority in rerouting, compensation in cases where improper assistance at the airport led to a missed flight, as well as protection of mobile equipment. If a wheelchair or other necessary equipment is lost or damaged, the responsibility must be clearer than before.

Another practical point concerns boarding passes and digital services. Passengers should not be forced to create a separate account or use only a specific app to receive important information about their rights. It has also been agreed to protect against unjustified fees for printing a boarding pass if the passenger has already checked in, and for correcting obvious spelling errors in the name.

Who Will Be Covered by the Rules

EU rules traditionally matter not only for EU citizens. According to the EU Council, they apply to passengers on flights within the EU regardless of whether the carrier is European, to flights from the EU to third countries, as well as to flights to the EU from third countries if they are operated by an EU airline. Therefore, changes may be important for Ukrainian travelers who fly through European hubs, buy tickets from EU cities, or connect trips through several carriers.

A practical conclusion is simple: if the route is connected to the EU, it is worth keeping boarding passes, booking confirmations, airline notifications, receipts for food, hotel, or transport, and screenshots of the flight status. In case of disruption, these documents can become the basis for a claim for compensation or reimbursement of expenses. For overnight transfers at large hubs, it is worth checking accommodation options in advance, such as hotels near CDG, hotels near AMS or hotels near FRA, especially during the high season.

What This Means for Airlines and Prices

For airlines, the new rules mean an additional need to restructure tariffs, customer communication, and claim processing procedures. This may most affect low-cost carriers that actively use separate fees for carry-on baggage and other services. If part of the baggage is included in the tariff by default, starting prices may look higher, although the final cost for a passenger with a carry-on suitcase will become clearer.

At the same time, one should not expect that the reform will automatically make travel cheaper. Airlines may adapt the tariff structure, divide offers differently, or more actively encourage passengers to fly without baggage. The main benefit for the tourist lies not so much in a guaranteed price reduction, as in a more transparent choice: how much the flight costs with a real set of services that you specifically need.

For the tourism market, this can be a positive signal. When a passenger better understands their rights, is less afraid of delays, and sees the full price of the flight before payment, they plan their trip more confidently. This is important for weekend destinations, family vacations, city tours, and complex routes with transfers.

What Travelers Should Do Now

Before the formal entry into force of the new rules, passengers should use current norms, but it is already useful to change the approach to booking. Before paying for a ticket, you should compare not only the base price, but also the final amount with carry-on baggage, seat selection, baggage, registration method, and intermediary commissions. If you are flying as a family, check the seating policy for children. If you have a short transfer, assess the risk of delay not optimistically, but with a margin.

After a disruption, the main thing is not to limit yourself to a verbal conversation at the counter. Ask for written or electronic confirmation of the reason for the delay, keep all receipts, record the actual arrival time, and do not rush to agree to a voucher if you do not understand whether you are waiving your right to monetary compensation. If the airline refers to extraordinary circumstances, it must explain exactly which circumstances affected the flight and why they could not be avoided.

Conclusion

The preliminary EU agreement on air passenger rights is important not because it immediately changes the rules at airports, but because it sets a new balance between airlines and travelers. Passengers should receive clearer tariffs, stronger protection during delays, simpler claims, and more guarantees for families and people with special needs. Airlines will retain the possibility to adapt tariffs and refer to extraordinary circumstances, but they must do so more transparently.

For tourists, the main rule remains unchanged: read the ticket conditions carefully before payment, allow extra time for transfers, keep documents after disruptions, and know that a significant flight delay in Europe can give not only the right to a coffee at the airport, but also to real compensation.