New EU Deal on Passenger Rights: What Could Delays, Carry-on Baggage, and Return Trips Mean for Hungarian Travelers?

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on June 15, 2026, on a comprehensive update of European air passenger rights. The decision is not an immediate change in rules, but it points in an important direction: the three-hour delay threshold remains, compensation procedures may become simpler, carry-on baggage fees must be more transparent, and the practice of passengers losing their right to board the return flight simply because they did not fly the outbound leg may end.

This news is particularly important for Hungarian travelers, as many choose low-cost, connecting, or trips consisting of several separate bookings during the summer season. It matters just as much for short European routes departing from Budapest airport as for routes planned through Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris CDG, Rome Fiumicino, or Milan Malpensa airports. The rules are not just theoretical consumer protection issues: if a flight is delayed, cancelled, baggage fees are unclear, or an airline restricts the return trip based on booking conditions, it can lead to real financial and logistical damage.

What Exactly Happened?

The basis of EU air passenger rights has been Regulation 261/2004/EC since 2004. This system introduced the compensation brackets of 250, 400, and 600 euros, claims related to three-hour delays, and the principles of assistance provided in case of cancelled flights, denied boarding, and long waits. However, the legal material has aged significantly since then. Low-cost models have strengthened in air transport, separate pricing of services has become widespread, far more passengers buy online, and court decisions have continuously shaped what is meant by extraordinary circumstances, rerouting, or adequate information.

The European Commission proposed updating the framework as early as 2013, but the interests of member states, the Parliament, and airlines were difficult to align for a long time. Therefore, the current political agreement is not a simple technical modification, but a significant step toward closing a 13-year-long debate. According to the Council's communication, the goal is for passengers to be able to exercise their rights more easily and for airlines to operate under more predictable rules.

It is important, however, that the agreement does not mean that flight tickets, baggage fees, or compensation procedures will change overnight. After legal-linguistic review, the text must still be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. According to information from the European Commission, the revised rules will become applicable 12 months after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

The Three-Hour Delay Threshold Remains

One of the most important points for Hungarian travelers is that the three-hour delay threshold remains based on the agreement. This is essential because there were previously member state ideas that would have linked compensation to a higher, four-hour or even longer delay. According to the official presentation of the current agreement, a passenger can claim compensation if the flight arrives more than three hours late, or if the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure.

Compensation amounts are similar to the current system: 250 euros up to 1500 kilometers, 400 euros between 1500 and 3500 kilometers or for flights within the EU, and 600 euros as the base amount for other longer routes. This means, for example, that a route like Budapest-Frankfurt, Budapest-Rome, or Vienna-Paris typically falls into a different bracket than a long-haul flight departing from the EU toward North America or Asia.

Of course, the rule still does not mean automatic payment. The airline can refer to extraordinary circumstances, but the agreement promises more clarity on this point. If the airline rejects the claim for such a reason, it must provide a clear, substantiated, and easily understandable explanation. The burden of proof remains with the airline, including whether it took reasonable measures to avoid the disruption.

Compensation Administration May Be Simpler

In practice, many passengers do not claim compensation because they do not know exactly what their rights are, where to submit a claim, how long they can expect a response, or what documents are worth keeping. The agreement would change this. If a delay occurs that could justify a compensation claim, the airline must electronically inform passengers about their rights and how to submit a claim. According to the Council's communication, this must be done within 96 hours following arrival.

The airline must immediately confirm receipt of the claim and then provide an answer within 30 days: either paying the compensation or rejecting it with a clear justification. This could be particularly useful for those who do not want to work with external claim management companies after a delay, but wish to exercise their claim independently and transparently.

It will still be worth keeping the boarding pass, booking confirmation, airline emails, notifications about delays or cancellations, and any invoice incurred due to the disruption. If, for example, someone had to pay for meals, accommodation, or extra transfers due to a long wait, proof of these may be important later. At larger hubs, such as Frankfurt or Paris, a multi-hour disruption can easily rewrite the entire onward journey, so administration is not a minor detail.

Carry-on Baggage: Less Confusion, More Transparency

The issue of carry-on baggage has become one of the most sensitive passenger rights topics in recent years. For many passengers, it is difficult to follow what counts as a personal item at one airline, what fits under the seat, what can go in the overhead bin, when priority boarding must be purchased, and when a seemingly cheap ticket eventually becomes a more expensive trip.

The official Commission summary of the current agreement is cautiously worded: the goal is to strengthen the transparency of fares and carry-on baggage fees, so that passengers can better compare offers. According to the Council's communication, at the beginning of the booking process, fares that include the carry-on baggage allowance should be displayed by default, while airlines retain the freedom to determine their pricing structures.

Therefore, the most important practical advice now is that no one should assume that all current baggage fees will immediately disappear. The details will be truly important in the final legal text and then in the airline fee schedules. What is already visible, however, is that the EU is moving in a direction where the passenger sees more clearly at the start of the booking how much the trip actually costs including carry-on baggage, and the full price is not only revealed at the end of payment.

The End of the Return No-Show Penalty May Come

One particularly important novelty of the agreement is the prohibition of the no-show practice for return flights. This means that a passenger cannot automatically lose their right to board the return flight simply because they did not use the outbound leg. Airlines would not be able to charge a separate fee for the passenger to board the return flight in the future.

This point could be useful for Hungarian travelers as well, because many plan flexibly: it may happen that someone reaches the first city by car, train, or another flight, but wants to make the return trip with the original ticket. Under current airline conditions, this is often risky, especially for round-trip bookings or more complex routes. The new prohibition could provide more room for maneuver, although the exact application will be decided by the final rule and the airline transition.

More Assistance May Be Provided During Disruptions

The agreement also specifies the right to care in more detail. In case of disruption, passengers may be entitled to refreshments every two hours of waiting time, meals after three hours, and further meals every five hours, up to a maximum of three times a day. If an overnight stay of one or more nights becomes necessary, the airline must provide free accommodation and free transport between the airport and the accommodation.

If the airline does not provide the necessary assistance, the passenger can take action themselves and then request reimbursement of the costs. This is practically important if, for example, after a late evening cancellation, customer service is no longer available, or the airline cannot provide hotel vouchers quickly enough. In such cases, keeping invoices and confirmations is crucial. Those preparing for an early morning departure or late evening arrival, especially at large transfer airports, can check airport accommodation and transport options in advance, such as hotels around Vienna airport or Frankfurt airport transfer options.

Rerouting Within Three Hours: This Could Be One of the Most Practical Changes

Besides compensation, one of the most important questions is always how the passenger gets to their destination. According to the agreement, in case of cancellation or denied boarding, if the passenger chooses the earliest possible rerouting, the airline must offer an alternative route within three hours. This may, in some cases, mean another airport, another route, another airline's flight, or even another mode of transport.

In practice, this could matter a lot to those who are not just traveling to a single city, but also arrange further trains, car rentals, ship departures, conferences, or accommodation bookings to match the flight. For a route like Budapest-Paris, Vienna-Frankfurt, or Milan-Budapest, a delay itself is unpleasant, but a missed connection, a late car rental pickup, or a transfer sliding into the night can be a serious additional cost. In such cases, it matters how quickly the airline must provide a real alternative.

Stronger Protection for More Vulnerable Passengers

The agreement pays special attention to passengers with reduced mobility, travelers with disabilities, children, unaccompanied minors, and pregnant passengers. Families and companions of passengers with reduced mobility must be allowed to sit next to each other free of charge, and passengers with reduced mobility will receive stronger rights in case of assistance, rerouting, and loss or damage of mobility equipment.

This is not just a legal detail, but a question affecting the real quality of the travel. The loss of a wheelchair, a piece of assistive equipment, or pre-arranged airport assistance can completely change the outcome of the trip. The same applies to families traveling with young children: if family members are seated separately, it is not just an inconvenience, but can also be a security and care problem.

Which Flights May the EU Rules Apply To?

The scope, based on the agreement, essentially follows the current logic. EU passenger rights apply to flights within the EU, regardless of whether they are operated by an EU or non-EU airline. They also apply to flights departing from the EU to a third country, whether the EU or non-EU airline is the operator. For flights arriving in the EU from a third country, they apply if an EU airline operates the flight.

Therefore, for a trip departing from Budapest, Vienna, or Frankfurt, EU protection is often relevant even if the passenger flies outside Europe. In the reverse direction, however, the role of which airline operates the flight is more significant. According to the agreement, a voluntary EU passenger rights label may appear in the booking process, so that the passenger sees more clearly which rights apply to the given flight.

What Should the Hungarian Traveler Do Now?

In the short term, the most important thing is to account for the current rules, because the new framework has not yet entered into force. Summer trips should therefore continue to be planned based on the airline's current baggage rules, check-in conditions, rerouting options, and fees. Those who fly with carry-on baggage only, should separately check the conditions for personal items, cabin suitcases, and priority boarding and fees payable at the gate.

In case of delay or cancellation, it is worth documenting events immediately: when the flight should have departed, when it actually departed or arrived, what the airline communicated, what costs were incurred, and what alternative was offered. If someone expects a long wait, it is not worth leaving airport transport and accommodation to the last minute; for example, prior knowledge of Budapest airport transfers or hotels around Paris Charles de Gaulle can save a lot of stress during a disruption.

Those who book routes consisting of several separate tickets, should be especially careful. EU passenger rights are strong, but they do not always protect connection risks resulting from separate bookings in the same way as connections within a single booking. Insurance, flexible accommodation bookings, sufficient transfer time, and a reserve day are sometimes worth more than the cheapest route on paper.

Why Is This Important for Tourism?

Air passenger rights are not only about complaint cases. If the rules are clearer, passengers are more likely to dare to book, airlines can price more accurately, and travel agencies can inform more clearly. This affects tourism as overall: city visits, family vacations, business trips, conference tourism, and those complex routes where flying is only the first part of the journey.

From a Hungarian perspective, the reform is interesting because the market is strongly price-sensitive. Many choose low-cost flights, regional alternative airports, or multi-city routes, and in the final price, baggage, seats, check-in, rerouting, and airport logistics often decide. If the new system truly makes these costs more transparent, it can help passengers decide based on the total travel cost rather than than just the first ticket price that appears.

Summary

The EU agreement of June 15, 2026, could be the most important update to air passenger rights in the last two decades. The three-hour delay threshold and the 250-600 euro compensation logic remain, complaint handling may be faster and more understandable, carry-on baggage fees may become more transparent, and the prohibition of the return no-show practice may provide more passengers with greater flexibility.

The change, however, is not immediate. Following the formal adoption and publication of the final text, a 12-month transition period follows. Until then, the best strategy is conscious booking: check baggage conditions, plan with realistic transfer times, and keep documents in case of delay, and start the claim directly with the airline in disputed situations. The promise of the new EU framework is precisely that in the future this will be less confusing, and the passenger will not be left alone when the travel does not go according to plan.