EU agrees on air passenger rights: family seating fees and typo correction charges scrapped
Provisional EU deal aims to reduce hidden airline fees and improve clarity in ticket pricing
The proposed EU reform of air passenger rights would ban charges for seating children with parents
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MEPs have reached a provisional agreement on air passenger rights, updating rules that have been in place since 2004.
Under the changes agreed on by MEPs on Tuesday, June 16, airlines will be outlawed from the controversial practice of charging extra fees for seating children with their parents. The agreement requires that passengers under 14 are seated next to the person they are travelling with, at no additional cost.
In addition, correcting minor spelling mistakes in passenger names will no longer incur a fee, addressing an airline practice that has often led to extra costs for travellers.
“Parliament fought hard to make travel fairer and procedures clearer, and this is what we have delivered,” Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, said.
Price transparency rules will also be strengthened. Airlines, intermediaries and booking platforms will be required to display the total fare upfront, including mandatory hand luggage in the initial price display. Airlines may still offer lower fares for passengers who choose to travel without cabin baggage.
The parliament pushed back against pressure to reduce compensation protection for passengers. Passengers are entitled to compensation after a delay of more than three hours, with amounts ranging from €250 to €600 depending on flight distance.
However, under the new rules, airlines can reduce their compensation liability by 50% for longer journeys if passengers are offered re-routing to their final destination, or if the delay at arrival does not last more than four hours.
Airlines may also be exempt from paying compensation in the cases of extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or airport strikes.
Airlines must provide passengers with instructions on how to request compensation within four days of the end of their journey following a disruption.
The agreement also strengthens protections for passengers with reduced mobility, including the right to assistance and compensation if they miss a flight due to failures in airport support services.
“Parliament was clear from day one: we wanted to modernise the rules, but we would not let passengers pay the price,” said MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius, vice-chair of the parliament’s transport and tourism committee.
The agreement must still be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council before it becomes law. A final vote is expected in the coming months.
