EU Lawmakers Want Free Hand Luggage for Air Travelers

A majority of EU lawmakers in the Transport Committee supported the idea that air travelers should be able to carry two small pieces of luggage without additional fees in the future.

EU Lawmakers for New Regulation on Hand Luggage

According to the wishes of the EU lawmakers, air travelers should be allowed to carry one small item such as a handbag, backpack, or laptop with maximum dimensions of 40x30x15 cm, and an additional small piece of hand luggage such as a suitcase. The suitcase, according to the information, should be a maximum of 46 centimeters high, and the sum of all three edge measurements should not exceed 100 centimeters. The lawmakers also want to ensure that children under twelve years old can sit next to their accompanying person without additional costs. Before new rules can come into effect, a compromise with the EU states must be found.

EU States Want Change in Compensation for Air Travelers

The basis of the discussion is a proposal submitted years ago for a reform of the current rights for air travelers. In this context, compensation payments for delays are also to be newly regulated. At the beginning of the month, the EU states, against significant resistance from Germany, advocated that passengers should only be compensated after a four-hour delay in the future. According to the ministers' wishes, the four-hour rule should apply to distances up to 3,500 kilometers. For longer flights, a period of six hours is planned. According to the compromise of the EU states, there should be compensation of 300 or 500 euros in the future. Currently, passengers are entitled to compensation from a delay of three hours, provided the airline is at fault. Specifically, there is 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km; 400 euros for flights up to 3,500 km, and 600 euros for long-haul flights over 3,500 km.

EU Lawmakers with Resistance Against Weakening of Passenger Rights

FDP Member of the European Parliament and one of the Parliament's negotiators, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, announced resistance against the position of the EU states. In his assessment, it is a cross-party red line to deviate from the three-hour rule. The transport policy spokesperson for the European SPD, Vivien Costanzo, also said it was unacceptable to weaken the compensation rules. Her CDU colleague Jens Gieseke stated that the Parliament sets clear and reasonable obligations for carriers. Oetjen expects negotiations with the EU states to start in October and hopes to be "finished with the process shortly before Christmas or early next year."

(APA/Red)

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