EU Council Set to Approve New Air Passenger Rights Reforms
Quick Look
- The EU Council is set to approve new air passenger rights, including free seat reservations for families and pregnant individuals, free name corrections, and easier compensation claims for flight disruptions.
- These reforms will apply to flights departing from the EU and arriving if operated by an EU airline, with new rules taking effect mid-2027.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The European Union is set to formally approve a package of reforms that will grant additional rights to air passengers, building on existing regulations.
A package of reforms granting additional rights to air passengers is set to be formally approved by the Council of the European Union on Monday.
The reforms, which have already been greenlighted by the European Parliament, will apply to all departures from airports in the bloc and to arrivals if operated by an EU-based airline.
What are the planned new rules for air travel in Europe?
Children below 14 will have the right to sit next to their parents without seat reservation fees
Pregnant people and those with reduced mobility will also be able to sit next to a travel companion without seat reservation fees
Airlines will be obliged to correct false spellings of passenger names on tickets free of charge
They will also be required to provide printed boarding passes to checked-in passengers at no extra cost
Airlines, intermediaries and booking platforms will be required to display fares including cabin baggage by default to enable an easier price comparison
Passengers who miss the outbound leg of a return ticket will be able to take the return flight with no penalty
Passengers who are forced to travel in a lower class than booked will receive automatic refunds
Clearer rules on flight disruption
Rules on passenger compensation in the case of delayed or canceled flights are to remain largely unchanged, with passengers still entitled to some refund if a flight is at least three hours late and the airline is at fault.
Under the rules, airlines will not be considered responsible for incidents involving unruly passengers, weather conditions, natural disasters or strikes by airport or ground-handling staff.
However, compensation claims are to be made easier and passenger rights in the case of disruption to their travel will be clarified.
The reforms mean that:
Passengers will have to be given information on their rights in writing within 96 hours of the end of their journey
They will have nine months to file a claim
Airlines will then have to pay compensation or explain a refusal within 30 calendar days
In the case of a travel disruption, passengers will be entitled to:
A refreshment after two hours
A meal after three hours
Meals every five hours after that (a maximum of three meals a day)
Free accommodation in a hotel if necessary, along with free transport to and from the lodgings
The new rules are to go into force in mid-2027.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
New EU air passenger rights reforms to be formally approved by the Council of the EU.
Very likely · Within days
Reforms to come into force, impacting air travel in mid-2027.
Very likely · Within years
Open Questions
- Will airlines pass on increased costs to consumers?
- How will enforcement be managed across member states?
