Lead news: no final agreement was reached on the reform of European Union air passenger rights during the Brussels consultations in early June. The debate continues to center on after what length of delay airlines must pay compensation and in what amount, while a partial solution regarding the transparency of carry-on baggage fees is already taking shape. For Hungarian travelers, the most important practical message is: current rules remain in effect for now, but the current negotiations may determine how strong passenger protection will be in the coming summer seasons.
What happened in Brussels?
EU institutions have been trying for years to finalize the reform of Regulation 261/2004/EC, the set of rules that protects passengers in case of denied boarding, flight cancellation, and significant delay. The dossier has long been politically sensitive: passenger protection organizations fear that the reform would weaken current rights, while airlines emphasize that the current system is often unpredictable and costly, especially as European air transport simultaneously struggles with labor shortages, more expensive fuel, strikes, and airspace restrictions.
According to the June 3rd Brussels report from Agence Europe, negotiators from the Council and the European Parliament failed to reach a final compromise after nearly 16 hours of consultations. The biggest point of contention remains the amount of compensation and the delay threshold. At the same time, a partial solution has emerged regarding carry-on baggage: if an airline charges a separate fee for certain cabin baggage, fares including such fees should be shown by default at the beginning of the booking process. This is not the same as a general right to free large carry-on baggage, but it could be an important step against hidden or late-appearing costs.
Current rules have not yet changed
Passengers do not need to prepare for the summer as if a new compensation system were already in place. The European Commission's Your Europe information guide continues to state that for flights departing from the EU, or flights arriving in the EU operated by an EU airline, compensation, assistance, rerouting, or reimbursement may be due in case of long delays, cancellation, or denied boarding. For delays, the key point currently is whether the passenger arrives at the final destination at least three hours late, and whether the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances.
In the current system, compensation can be 250, 400, or 600 euros depending on the distance. In addition, depending on the severity of the situation, the airline must provide food, drinks, communication options, and, if necessary, accommodation and airport transfers. If the flight is cancelled, the passenger is given a choice: they can request a refund, the earliest possible rerouting, or later travel under similar conditions. It is important that compensation is not automatic for every delay: bad weather, war situations, certain external strikes, or other unavoidable extraordinary circumstances may exclude the payment obligation, but the airline must substantiate this.
What are the Council and Parliament debating?
According to the Council's 2025 position, for shorter and intra-EU routes, 300 euros would only be due after a delay exceeding four hours, while for routes longer than 3500 kilometers, 500 euros would be due after a delay exceeding six hours. The Council, however, supported elements that could benefit passengers: airlines would have to provide a pre-filled application form in case of cancellation, passengers would have six months to submit a complaint or claim, and airlines would have to pay or provide a substantive response within 14 days.
The European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism, by contrast, messaged in January 2026 that it does not support the weakening of passenger rights. The essence of the parliamentary position is that the three-hour delay threshold should remain and current compensation levels should not decrease. Moreover, MEPs would set the compensation brackets between 300 and 600 euros and more strictly define when an airline can refer to extraordinary circumstances.
The current deadlock is important because the reform pulls in two directions at once. On one side, there is indeed a need for simpler, faster-to-enforce rules: many passengers today still do not know what they are entitled to and often have to argue with an airline for months. On the other side, a higher delay threshold would mean that many passengers who are currently eligible would be left without compensation. On a Budapest-Paris, Budapest-Rome, or Vienna-Frankfurt route, a four-hour delay can already disrupt an entire business meeting, connection, or the first hotel night.
Why is this particularly important for Hungarian travelers?
Many passengers from Hungary travel on direct low-cost flights, where ticket prices are often low, but additional services, carry-on baggage, seat selection, and modification fees can be significant. A compensation dispute is therefore not a theoretical question: an amount of 250 or 400 euros is often higher than the ticket price itself, and for a cancelled or multi-hour delayed flight, this can be decisive help for the costs of accommodation, transfer, or a new ticket.
Furthermore, Hungarian passengers do not only depart from Budapest airport. Many choose Vienna airport, especially for longer-distance or connecting flights, while others use Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, or Amsterdam as European hubs. If a connection slips, from a passenger rights perspective, it matters a lot whether the flights are in one booking, which airline operates them, where the journey started, and when the passenger arrives at the final destination.
That is why during the summer season, it is worth saving the booking confirmation, boarding pass, airline messages, and all delay-related notifications before departure. If the flight status is uncertain, the Budapest airport live flight information, or the online boards of larger hub airports, such as Frankfurt or Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, can help in making quicker decisions. If an evening arrival is delayed, checking airport accommodation or a flexible Budapest airport transfer in advance can also reduce the risk.
The carry-on baggage debate is not a side issue
The carry-on baggage issue may seem like a smaller question at first compared to several hundred euros in compensation, but it is very essential from the perspective of travel cost transparency. In the low-cost model, the lowest price often only includes a small personal item, while a larger bag or rolling suitcase that can be taken on board is subject to a separate fee. Passengers often only see how much a truly usable package costs for them in the later stages of the booking process.
The essence of the Brussels partial compromise is therefore not that every larger carry-on bag would immediately be free, but that the price calculated with fees could become more visible. This would also help Hungarian travelers compare a Budapest-Madrid, Budapest-Barcelona, or Vienna-Rome ticket, as the final price would not be revealed in the final steps before payment. The decision could also be important for families, as for multiple passengers, baggage fees can quickly grow into a larger sum than the price of one night's accommodation or an airport transfer.
What should a passenger do while there are no new rules?
The most important thing is that the passenger does not automatically give up their rights. If a flight is cancelled or a significant delay occurs, always first request written information from the airline about the options. It is worth recording the original and actual departure and arrival times, saving photos of airport displays, airline emails, app notifications, and invoices for all extra costs. These may be important later even if the case cannot be closed immediately.
If the airline refers to extraordinary circumstances, this does not in itself mean that the passenger is entitled to nothing. Compensation may be refused in certain cases, but the right to assistance, rerouting, or reimbursement may remain in many situations regardless of this. In the case of package tours, the obligations of the tour operator may also come into play, so for organized holidays, not only the airline but also the travel agency must be notified quickly.
Another practical tip: during the summer peak season, do not build the itinerary too tightly. The three-hour or four-hour debate is legally important, but from a passenger's perspective, even a 90-minute slip can be enough to miss the last train, for the car rental desk to close, or to have to find a taxi with a late-evening surcharge. If someone is going on a cruise, wedding, conference, or long-distance connection the next day, it is worth considering arriving a day earlier.
What is expected now?
Negotiations may continue in the coming days, but the deadlock in early June shows that there is no easy compromise on the compensation issue. The final text should simultaneously provide faster, more transparent administration for passengers and create rules that airlines also consider enforceable. If the reform is too weak, passenger trust may be damaged; if it remains too vague, disputes will continue to be referred to complaint-handling companies, authorities, and courts.
From a Hungarian traveler's point of view, the best scenario is not simply whether the compensation is high or low. It is at least as important that the passenger sees the real price at the time of booking, receives clear information quickly during a delay, is not left alone during a cancellation, and the payment of legitimate claims does not drag on for months. Until a final decision on the new rules is made, it is worth acting based on current EU passenger rights and keeping all travel documents.
Sources
The article is based on the June 3rd Brussels report from Agence Europe, the European Parliament's air passenger rights dossier, the Parliament's January 2026 position, the Council of the European Union's June 2025 position, and the European Commission's Your Europe passenger information guide.