Virginijus Sinkevičius, the Lithuanian MEP who led the European Parliament’s negotiating team, said the agreement had succeeded in protecting the most important passenger rights while also bringing greater clarity for travellers across the EU.

“Passengers must not become the price of compromise,” Sinkevičius said. “There was considerable pressure during these negotiations to weaken the rights that exist today, but the European Parliament resisted that. We managed to preserve the core compensation guarantees, while also achieving new protections that matter to people in their everyday lives – from the right for families to sit together, to stronger safeguards for passengers with disabilities.”

What will change for passengers?

Among the most significant new measures:

– Families seated together, free of charge. Airlines will no longer be permitted to separate families and charge extra for seats together. Children will be entitled to sit next to their parents at no additional cost.

– Stronger protections for passengers with disabilities. This includes the right to compensation in cases where a missed flight results from a failure to provide adequate assistance.

– Pushchairs and wheelchairs available at the aircraft door. Passengers will be able to keep their buggy or wheelchair with them until boarding and collect it immediately on arrival – addressing a long-standing frustration for travelling families and passengers with mobility needs.

– Clearer guidance after disruption. Following a cancellation or lengthy delay, passengers will automatically receive clear instructions on how to claim compensation, rather than having to navigate the process themselves.

– No charges for minor name corrections. Administrative fees for small errors in a passenger’s name or booking details will be abolished.

Ban on “no-show” penalties. Airlines will no longer be able to invalidate a return ticket simply because a passenger did not use the outbound leg of their journey – a practice that has long drawn criticism from consumer groups.

– Stronger rights for diverted passengers. Protections will be reinforced for passengers whose flights are redirected to a different airport, and the rules on compensation in such cases will be more clearly defined.

Core compensation rules preserved

One of the Parliament’s key priorities in the negotiations was to prevent any dilution of existing passenger rights.

Under EU rules that have been in place since 2004, passengers are entitled to compensation when flights are delayed by three hours or more. That threshold has been retained, as have the current compensation amounts of €250, €400 and €600, depending on the length of the flight.

“Millions of Europeans rely on these rights every year,” Sinkevičius said. “Our aim was not to weaken those protections but to strengthen and clarify them. Passengers need to know their rights, and airlines need to understand their obligations clearly.”

Codifying two decades of case law

The new agreement will also, for the first time, enshrine in legislation many of the passenger rights principles established by the Court of Justice of the European Union over the past two decades. Those rulings have shaped the practical interpretation of passenger rights in countless cases, but have never been formally written into EU law, meaning the rules have sometimes been applied inconsistently across member states.

By bringing that body of case law into the statute books, the reforms are intended to create greater legal certainty for both passengers and airlines throughout the EU.

Credits: EU

The post Updated air passenger rights: what the new EU rules mean for travellers first appeared on AircrewNews.com.

EU lawmakers have reached a provisional agreement to strengthen air passenger rights across the bloc, preserving compensation for three-hour flight delays and introducing stricter rules on reimbursement, price transparency and passenger care, the European Parliament announced on Monday.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU Council agreed on revised rules that aim to update the bloc’s air passenger rights framework for the first time since 2004.

Under the agreement, passengers will continue to be entitled to compensation of €250 ($290) for short-haul flights up to 1,500 km, €400 ($464) for medium-haul flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km and €600 ($696) for long-haul journeys.

Airlines may reduce compensation by 50% in certain cases if rerouting is offered or delays remain limited.

Compensation will apply in cases of delays exceeding three hours, flight cancellations made less than 14 days before departure and denied boarding.

However, carriers will be exempt from paying compensation in cases of extraordinary circumstances, including natural disasters, war, severe weather, unruly passengers and disruptions caused by third-party airport or air traffic services.

EU lawmakers said airlines must still provide care for stranded passengers, including refreshments every two hours, meals after three hours and accommodation for up to three nights where necessary.

The deal also introduces stricter rules on reimbursement procedures, requiring airlines to inform passengers within four days of disruption on how to claim compensation.

Passengers will have up to 9 months to submit claims, while airlines must respond within 30 days.

Lawmakers also secured measures on seating and accessibility, requiring airlines to ensure children under 14 are seated next to accompanying adults at no extra cost, alongside similar protections for passengers with disabilities and pregnant women.

Additional provisions include a ban on fees for minor name corrections and printed boarding passes, as well as requirements for airlines and booking platforms to display full ticket prices upfront, including carry-on baggage where applicable.

The agreement now moves to the European Parliament and the EU Council for final approval, with a vote expected during the Parliament’s July plenary session.

Credits: European

The post European Parliament updates air travel rights for first time since 2004 first appeared on AircrewNews.com.