The European Parliament has formally approved new passenger rights rules that clarify what baggage airlines must include in the ticket price, following years of debate over cabin baggage fees.
The changes form part of amendments to Regulation (EC) No. 2027/97, which governs air carrier liability and related revisions to the EU’s passenger rights framework.
One provision of the revised regulation states: “To create price transparency, air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage shall be displayed by default before the start of any booking process to facilitate fare comparisons between airlines.”
The wording prompted some reports to suggest that airlines would no longer be allowed to charge for cabin baggage. However, a closer reading of the legislation shows the rules are more nuanced.
The amendments establish a minimum entitlement for passengers to carry a personal item into the cabin at no additional cost, while also requiring airlines to clearly display both checked and cabin baggage allowances during the booking process and at the airport.
A personal item is defined as an item measuring up to 40 x 30 x 15cm, or one that fits beneath the seat in front, and is considered necessary for the journey. This may include travel documents, essential medicines, personal electronic devices, reading material, and food or drink appropriate to the duration of the flight.
The legislation also distinguishes between a personal item and hand baggage.
A personal item is defined as “a piece of unchecked baggage, constituting a necessary aspect of the carriage of passengers”, while hand baggage is defined as “a piece of unchecked baggage which is not a personal item”.
Under the revised rules, passengers will be entitled to carry a qualifying personal item at no extra cost. Airlines must also display fares that include a piece of hand baggage by default to make fare comparisons easier. However, they may still offer lower-priced fares to passengers who voluntarily choose to travel without hand baggage.
Years of disagreement
The proposal follows years of debate over cabin baggage charges in Europe.
In 2025, consumer rights organisations argued that several low-cost airlines were unlawfully charging passengers for hand luggage that met "reasonable" weight and dimensions requirements under a 2014 European Court of Justice ruling (C-487/12). It was reported that Spain subsequently fined five airlines over the practice.
However, the European Commission later challenged those fines, arguing that EU law allows airlines to set their own prices for baggage that exceeds what may be considered ‘reasonable’.
While both the court ruling and the Commission referred to ‘reasonable’ size and weight limits, neither defined those limits. The absence of a clear definition resulted in differing interpretations, fuelling disputes over cabin baggage charges between airlines, regulators and consumer rights groups.
