The European Union has agreed on the biggest overhaul of air passenger rights since 2004. A deal reached on 13 June 2026 means airlines will have to include a cabin bag in their advertised ticket prices. Passengers will also get clearer rights when flights are delayed or cancelled.
The agreement ends more than 13 years of negotiations. It updates a rule called Regulation EC 261/2004, which sets out what airlines must do when something goes wrong with a flight.
The biggest change is about cabin bags. Under the new rules, airlines must include both a personal item and a standard cabin bag in their base fare. In recent years, many low-cost airlines have charged extra for cabin luggage. Passengers found this confusing and expensive. The new deal ends this practice for any airline that flies to or from an EU airport. Airlines can still offer a slightly cheaper fare for passengers who choose not to bring a cabin bag at all.
The rules on delays and cancellations also change. If a flight arrives more than three hours late or is cancelled within 14 days of departure, passengers can claim compensation. The amounts stay the same as before: €250 for short flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for medium distances, and €600 for long-haul routes. Airlines will now have to explain clearly how to submit a claim within four days of the disruption. Passengers then have nine months to file their request, and airlines must respond within 30 days.
The deal also improves support for stranded passengers at airports. After two hours of waiting, airlines must provide refreshments. After three hours, they must offer a full meal. If an overnight stay becomes necessary, the airline must pay for a hotel room and transport to and from the airport. Passengers will also be entitled to free internet access and two phone calls while they wait.
The new rules will not apply immediately. After a formal vote by the European Parliament and Council, airlines will have 12 months to make the necessary changes. Most analysts expect the new protections to apply from sometime in 2027.
During the negotiations, some airline industry groups argued that stronger rules would lead to higher ticket prices. The final deal kept compensation amounts at their current levels, which the airline industry accepted as a compromise.
One important point: EU passenger rights rules apply not only to European airlines, but to any carrier whose flight departs from or arrives at an EU airport. This means airlines from the United States, Asia, and other parts of the world will also need to follow the new cabin bag and claims rules.
Key vocabulary:
- overhaul – a major set of changes made to a system or set of rules to improve how it works
- base fare – the basic price of an airline ticket, not including extra fees for things like meals or checked bags
- compensation – money that an airline pays to a passenger because of a problem such as a flight delay or cancellation
- entitlement – an official right to receive or do something
- legislative deadlock – a situation in which governments or politicians cannot agree on a new law, so nothing changes for a long time
CEFR Level B1 / ICAO Level 4