The EU Just Approved New Rules For Air Travel: 13 Changes To Expect

!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb';cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","mediaId":"074847b2-9c50-42df-b403-2c625472f8cb"}).render("6a5501c0e4b0ac1765ee116d");}); You might have heard about new rules in the EU which mean fliers in the bloc will be able to bring cabin bags on board for free in the near future. The same changes also involve clearer compensation rules for people whose flights are delayed. And on Monday 13 July, the rules were given “the final green light” by the Council of the European Union. They won’t come into place immediately, though. “The current rules, which have been in place since 2004, will stay in effect until the new ones come into force in the second half of 2027,” the Council of the European Union said. “The updated air passenger rules will enter into force 12 months and 20 days after the publication in the Official Journal.” But what are the new rules, and how might they affect those flying in Europe? What are the new flying rules in Europe? The new EU rules include: Passengers will be able to bring a personal item like a small bag or backpack on board for free. Passengers “shall not be denied boarding on the grounds that they used their own printed version of a digitally issued boarding pass”. Passengers with disabilities and/or reduced mobility will be entitled to compensation, rerouting and assistance if they miss a flight due to the airport’s failure to get them to the gate on time. Children aged 14 and under will be able to sit beside their parents for free. Pregnant people and people with reduced mobility will likewise be able to sit beside their travel companion without paying added reservation costs. Airlines will have to have more transparent pricing, including “displaying air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage before the start of any booking process”. Airlines can’t charge passengers to correct misspellings of their name on a ticket. Passengers will be able to get boarding passes on check-in without having to create an account or download an app. If a passenger misses the outbound flight of a return journey, they won’t face a “no-show” penalty on their flight back. If a passenger is moved to a lower class seat in the plane than they booked, they’ll be automatically entitled to a refund. Printed boarding passes will have to be offered for free. Passengers will have nine months to file a claim against an airline for disrupted travel. If travel has been disrupted, airlines will have to offer passengers a refreshment after two hours, a meal after three hours, meals every five hours after that (with a maximum of three meals a day), free hotel accommodation if needed, and free travel if required. Do UK airlines have to follow these rules? At the moment, these rules will only be enforced within the EU. That means UK airlines don’t have to follow them because of Brexit. But the consumer champion Which? said that, in effect, the UK will probably “have to” take the new guidelines on board in the future. The changes will apply to all EU airlines, like Ireland’s Ryanair, and also need to be implemented on flights from the EU to the UK. Because it would be very impractical to have different baggage, seating, boarding, and delay policies from one leg of a return flight to the next, this could mean UK airlines will follow EU flying guidance for flights to the bloc as well. Related... A Doctor Says These 7 Everyday Medicines Are A No-Go While Flying Jet2 Says To Bring Physical Item On-Board For More 'Efficient' Flight 19 UK And EU Airports Affected By Ryanair Flight Cuts

You might have heard about new rules in the EU which mean fliers in the bloc will be able to bring cabin bags on board for free in the near future. The same changes also involve clearer compensation rules for people whose flights are delayed. And on Monday 13 July, the rules were given “the final green light” by the Council of the European Union. They won’t come into place immediately, though. “The current rules, which have been in place since 2004, will stay in effect until the new ones come into force in the second half of 2027,” the Council of the European Union said. “The updated air passenger rules will enter into force 12 months and 20 days after the publication in the Official Journal.” But what are the new rules, and how might they affect those flying in Europe? What are the new flying rules in Europe? The new EU rules include: Passengers will be able to bring a personal item like a small bag or backpack on board for free. Passengers “shall not be denied boarding on the grounds that they used their own printed version of a digitally issued boarding pass”. Passengers with disabilities and/or reduced mobility will be entitled to compensation, rerouting and assistance if they miss a flight due to the airport’s failure to get them to the gate on time. Children aged 14 and under will be able to sit beside their parents for free. Pregnant people and people with reduced mobility will likewise be able to sit beside their travel companion without paying added reservation costs. Airlines will have to have more transparent pricing, including “displaying air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage before the start of any booking process”. Airlines can’t charge passengers to correct misspellings of their name on a ticket. Passengers will be able to get boarding passes on check-in without having to create an account or download an app. If a passenger misses the outbound flight of a return journey, they won’t face a “no-show” penalty on their flight back. If a passenger is moved to a lower class seat in the plane than they booked, they’ll be automatically entitled to a refund. Printed boarding passes will have to be offered for free. Passengers will have nine months to file a claim against an airline for disrupted travel. If travel has been disrupted, airlines will have to offer passengers a refreshment after two hours, a meal after three hours, meals every five hours after that (with a maximum of three meals a day), free hotel accommodation if needed, and free travel if required. Do UK airlines have to follow these rules? At the moment, these rules will only be enforced within the EU. That means UK airlines don’t have to follow them because of Brexit. But the consumer champion Which? said that, in effect, the UK will probably “have to” take the new guidelines on board in the future. The changes will apply to all EU airlines, like Ireland’s Ryanair, and also need to be implemented on flights from the EU to the UK. Because it would be very impractical to have different baggage, seating, boarding, and delay policies from one leg of a return flight to the next, this could mean UK airlines will follow EU flying guidance for flights to the bloc as well. Related... A Doctor Says These 7 Everyday Medicines Are A No-Go While Flying Jet2 Says To Bring Physical Item On-Board For More 'Efficient' Flight 19 UK And EU Airports Affected By Ryanair Flight Cuts