From next year, passengers on flights from or to the European Union will have the right to travel with two pieces of hand luggage, without airlines charging them extra. Instead, airlines will have to display the price of the ticket already with hand luggage included, and passengers will be able to opt out if they are not carrying luggage, which would lower the price, it says.Telegraph“.
The governments of the EU member states and the MEPs reached the long-awaited agreement on the prices of air tickets and on the rules that will apply throughout the European Union. Negotiations dragged on for 13 years due to disagreements between countries and opposition from airlines, which argued that these changes would lead to higher ticket prices.
Experts believe that the measure of free hand luggage is more formal than real, because it can significantly increase the price of tickets for low-cost airlines.
Members of the European Parliament previously demanded that passengers be able to carry two pieces of hand luggage at no extra cost.
However, the combination of a wheeled suitcase and a small backpack is difficult to carry out in the conditions of a typical low-budget plane, so some of the luggage would have to go in the cargo area, which would cause delays. That’s why a compromise was reached: the ticket should include the price of hand luggage from the start, already at the time of booking.
When the new rules come into effect next year, charging fees for parents and carers to sit next to children or people with disabilities will also be banned.
At Monday’s meeting, EU governments and the European Parliament also reached an agreement to update rules on passenger rights and compensation for flight delays.
If the flight is delayed for more than three hours or is cancelled, the passenger will be able to claim compensation from 250 to 600 euros, depending on the length of the flight.
Airlines will be able to reduce compensation by 50 percent on long-haul flights if they offer an alternative flight or if the problem is caused by a natural disaster, bad weather, war or strikes.
Passengers will be entitled to one personal bag and one small wheeled suitcase.
The new rules will apply to all flights within the EU, regardless of whether they are operated by an EU or non-EU airline. They also apply to all flights leaving the EU, regardless of where the airline is based.
Flights to the EU from countries outside the bloc are covered, but only when operated by EU airlines, meaning non-EU carriers could still charge extra on flights to Europe.
The MEPs are demanding a ban on charging hand luggage from passengers
