New EU hand luggage rules published, 2027 start date revealed

Passengers flying from, within, and often to the EU on certain airlines will soon be able to take an overhead cabin bag with them as part of a standard ticket.

The change is part of new rules included in the EU’s Official Journal on October 2. 

British passengers should note, however, that they may not always be covered as several flights from the UK will be excluded under the regulations.

New rules mean that airlines must allow passengers an overhead cabin bag as part of a standard ticket (a fare including this as default) and not include it as an optional or hidden extra later in the booking process. 

Instead, “airlines may offer cheaper tickets for passengers who choose voluntarily to travel without hand luggage,” said the European Council.

The bag will be additional to the already-included piece of hand luggage that must fit underneath the seat in front of a passenger, and does not replace this.

However, the overhead cabin bag must not exceed 100cm in combined dimensions nor a weight of 7kg, and is subject to availability in the cabin.

Once published in the journal rules typically come into force after 20 days, but the regulation cites a specific start date for new passenger rights, with the changes set to apply from October 23, 2027.

Airlines will be able to retain their own limits on overhead cabin bag size allowance provided they fit within the dimension and weight rules included in the new rules. 

This is similar to under-the-seat bags, which have a minimum dimension size of 40cm x 30cm x 20cm, but with some airlines offering larger limits.

Major update to air passenger rules

These changes are the first major overhaul to apply to air passenger rights in the bloc since 2004, and come after 13 years of negotiations on the matter. 

An agreement was finally reached in June 2026, before the text was put into the EU Official Journal last week. 

Other major changes include ending charges for families to sit together, improving price transparency, and granting passengers more rights in the event of a delay. 

This includes making it easier to claim compensation, although payments for delays remain largely similar. More details can be found in our article here. 

Britons warned to check flights 

Travellers should be aware that not all flights will automatically be covered by the rules, with Britons in particular set to be affected. 

The new rules for cabin bag allowances apply only to flights that are between two EU airports, leaving the bloc, or those landing in the bloc but operated by an EU airline. 

As the UK is no longer part of the EU – and major airlines such as easyJet based in the UK are therefore not classified as an ‘EU airline’ – the cabin bag change could be limited.

EasyJet has already confirmed the rules will only apply for passengers returning from the EU to the UK, and not on outbound trips leaving the UK. 

For example, a passenger flying on an EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Nice would not receive the cabin bag option on their outward ticket, however would receive it as standard for the return journey.

In comparison, if flying between Stansted and Paris with Ryanair – an Irish, and therefore EU, airline – the new allowances will apply on both the outbound and the return flights. 

In both cases however, some flights are operated by alternate subsidiaries, registered in the EU (for easyJet) or the UK (for Ryanair), which could further complicate matters.

If flying with British Airways overhead luggage is already included in the ticket price of a standard fare. 

This is also the case for the majority of fares with operators such as Jet2 and TUI Airways, which specialise in package holidays and often include extra luggage (cabin or hold) in a ticket price.