BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Union has ratified a comprehensive update to passenger rights concerning delays, cancellations, baggage, and denied boarding. The Council of the European Union finalized the legislative process on July 13, 2026. The European Parliament had approved the agreement six days earlier. The vote concluded with 646 votes in favor, 12 against, and three abstentions. This new regulation signifies the most significant overhaul of EU air travel protections in over twenty years.
Passengers will continue to have the right to compensation if their flights arrive more than three hours late at their destination. The protections also apply to cancellations announced fewer than 14 days prior to departure. Passengers who are denied boarding can also be covered under the same rules. Compensation remains at €250 for flights up to 1,500 kilometres. It increases to €400 for longer intra-EU routes and qualifying journeys up to 3,500 kilometres. For longer flights, payments of €600 may be applicable.
Airlines are permitted to reduce compensation by half for the longest routes when rerouted passengers arrive within four hours of the scheduled time. They can deny claims if extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption, including severe weather, natural disasters, war, unruly passengers, and certain external strikes. Nonetheless, airlines are still required to provide care during covered disruptions, which includes refreshments, meals, internet access, two phone calls, and necessary hotel accommodation.
Streamlined claims process introduced
The new regulation establishes a quicker, more organized process for handling claims from disrupted travelers. Airlines must send claim instructions electronically within four days following the completion of the journey. Passengers will have nine months to file a compensation claim. Carriers are required to acknowledge each claim promptly and either pay the owed amount or issue a detailed refusal within 30 days. A refusal must also include instructions on how to challenge the decision.
Airlines are obliged to offer rerouting at the earliest possible opportunity, which may involve another carrier or suitable ground transport. If no suitable option is available within three hours, passengers are permitted to arrange their own alternative. They can request reimbursement up to four times the original ticket price. Carriers must provide comparable travel conditions and avoid unnecessary connections, while also reimbursing reasonable care expenses within 14 calendar days.
Enhanced baggage and seating protections
All passengers will have the right to carry one personal item without additional charges, such as a small backpack, handbag, or laptop bag. Booking platforms are required to display fares inclusive of hand baggage allowances first. Airlines may still offer cheaper tickets that exclude this allowance. They cannot cancel a return booking solely because the outbound flight was missed, nor can they charge passengers to correct minor spelling errors in names.
Families with children under 14 will be allocated adjacent seats at no extra cost. The regulations also strengthen assistance provisions for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, and extend protections for mobility aids, pregnant travelers, and unaccompanied minors. These passenger rights within the EU cover flights operating within the member states, all departures from EU airports, and arrivals operated by EU airlines. The regulation will become effective 12 months and 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.