After a yearslong process during which opposing interests got together and hammered out a compromise (remember how productive that can be?), the European Parliament has come up with a new list of traveler rights for airline passengers.
The new rules apply to anyone taking off on an airline within the European Union, no matter where you live.
Reading the incoming rules, which take effect in mid-2027, is enough to bring jealous and abused passengers in the United States to tears.
Look at the dignity that will soon be granted to European airline passengers:
• Airlines must inform passengers within 96 hours if a flight delay is eligible for compensation. Depending on the length of the flight, passengers can claim €250, €400, or €600 (US $250, $458, and $686, respectively) if the flight is delayed by 3 hours or more. Passengers will have 9 months to file a claim, and airlines will have 30 days to pay legitimate claims. Exceptions: "natural disasters, war, weather conditions, unruly passengers, or airport, air navigation, or ground handling service provider strikes."
• For qualifying long delays, flyers will have a right to request support, including refreshments every 2 hours of waiting, a full meal after 3 hours, internet access if needed, phone calls, an overnight stay if necessary, and a free ride to and from the hotel.
• Passengers will be permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage measuring 40cm x 30cm x 15cm (15.75 inches × 11.81 inches x 5.9 inches) and weighing up to 7kg (15.4 pounds), at no extra charge—and that's in addition to a small bag that fits under the seat ahead. Default airfare pricing must include those things, but passengers will have the option to opt out for a possible savings. (Last September, the current United States government rescinded a similar rule that had been announced in 2024 with bipartisan support in Congress.)
• Adults and their kids under 14 will be allowed to sit together without paying extra. (In the U.S. the Biden Administration announced that rule in 2024, but the Trump Administration has refused to put it into effect.) This group seating protection will also be extended to pregnant passengers and to people traveling with mobility issues.
• Airlines must clearly show all fees when booking a ticket, not at the end but during the payment stage. (Michael O'Leary, the rant-prone CEO of fee-happy Ryanair, bemoaned this change since it will prevent the airline from advertising travel for less money than it really costs. This is another rule that the U.S. tried to introduce in 2024, but implementation was halted by the next president.)
• Passengers will no longer be penalized if they buy a round-trip ticket but don't use one of the legs. (That will legitimize some forms of "skiplagging," a money-saving tactic that has drawn lawsuits by airlines in the United States.)
• If an airport's staffing or equipment delays cause a disabled guest to miss a flight, they will be entitled to compensation and rerouting.
• Airlines may no longer charge passengers who need to correct the spelling of the name on their ticket, something that European carriers have boldly charged £160 (US $183) to do.
Why can't Americans have rules like this?
We can.
In a less lopsided market, we would.
It's just that the big U.S. airlines are near-monopolies now, so they tend to be able to get away with whatever they want.
Tell your representatives that you demand airline protections like these, even if it requires compromises.