A package of reforms giving additional rights to air passengers will be formally approved by the Council of the EU on Monday.
The reforms, which have already been given the green light by the European Parliament, will apply to all departures and arrivals from airports in the bloc when operated by an EU-based airline.
What are the new rules planned for air travel in Europe?
- Children under 14 years of age will have the right to sit next to their parents without paying seat reservation fee.
- Pregnant people and people with reduced mobility will also be able to sit next to a traveling companion without seat reservation fees
- Airlines will be obliged to correct misspellings of passenger names on tickets free of charge
- They will also be required to provide printed boarding passes to check-in passengers at no additional cost
- Airlines, intermediaries and booking platforms will be required to display fares including cabin baggage by default to make price comparison easier
- Passengers who miss the outbound leg of the return ticket will be able to take the return flight without any penalty
- Passengers who are forced to travel in a lower class than the booked class will get an automatic refund
Clear rules on flight disruption
The rules for passenger compensation in case of delayed or canceled flights remain largely unchanged, with passengers still entitled to some refunds if the flight is delayed by at least three hours and the airline is at fault.
Under the rules, airlines will not be held responsible for incidents involving unruly passengers, weather conditions, natural disasters or strikes by airport or ground-handling staff.
However, compensation claims will be simplified and passenger rights clarified in case of disruption to their journey.
The reforms mean that:
- Passengers will have to be informed in writing about their rights within 96 hours of the end of the journey.
- They will have nine months to file a claim
- The airlines will then have to provide compensation or explain the refusal within 30 calendar days
In the event of journey disruption, passengers will be entitled to:
- refreshments after two hours
- food after three hours
- After that, meals every five hours (maximum three meals a day)
- Free hotel accommodation as well as free transport to and from the accommodation if required
The new rules are due to come into effect in mid-2027.
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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