We’ve all been there – you think you’ve found a decently priced budget flight to a European destination, only to be hit with a huge fee for your hand luggage. Well, it looks like those days are numbered, as lawmakers have just voted to scrap hand luggage fees on airlines across the European Union.
The proposal will allow holidaymakers to travel with carry-on luggage up to 7 kilograms with no extra fee – and that’s on top of your under-the-seat backpack, too.
According to the European Parliament’s press release, vice-president of the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism Matteo Ricci said the move ‘marks an important step toward fairer and more transparent travel’ and will ‘introduce concrete measures such as the clear definition of free hand luggage up to a maximum size of 100cm, a fundamental right to avoid unjustified extra costs.’
Obviously, this is a massive win for travellers, but not everyone’s happy about it. It’s expected to hit low-cost airlines particularly hard – Ryanair, for example, made €4.7 billion last year from charging extra fees like seat selection and baggage costs.
While airline lobbies have warned that the ruling could mean carriers will end up increasing their ticket prices to make up for the costs, the ruling is part of wider reforms proposed by the European Parliament on passenger rights.
Further measures include allowing children under 12 to sit with their accompanying passenger free of charge, granting free seats to carers of people with reduced mobility, and forcing airlines to disclose the full cost of flights upfront.
All in all, this is very good news for passengers. It’s not clear when the ruling will kick in, as the proposals still need to get the final green light in a parliamentary vote. Keep an eye on this page for further details.
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