New EU Agreement Strengthens Enforcement of Passenger Rights: What Does This Mean for Hungarian Travelers?
Another important step has been taken towards the regulation of passenger rights in the European Union: on June 25, 2026, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the more effective enforcement of passenger rights. The change affects not only air travel, but also rail, sea, inland waterway, bus, and long-distance coach transport. For Hungarian travelers, the most important message is simple: rights are of little value on their own if they are difficult to actually enforce after a delay, cancellation, or refund dispute.
The fresh agreement is particularly timely because during the summer peak season, many Hungarian passengers depart from Budapest, Vienna, or other European airports, often with tickets purchased through online intermediaries, price comparison sites, or travel agencies. When everything goes well, the booking route matters less. However, when a flight is cancelled, a connection is significantly delayed, assistance is not provided, or the airline and the intermediary point fingers at each other, it matters a great deal to the passenger who they can turn to, within what deadline they must receive an answer, and which authority can take meaningful action.
The agreement is not yet a law that is immediately applicable. The provisional text must still be approved by the Council and the European Parliament, followed by legal-linguistic review and formal adoption. This means that for this weekend or the next trip, one should not prepare as if every new rule were already in effect. At the same time, the direction of the political bargain is clear: the EU wants to maintain strong passenger protection while simplifying the enforcement of claims and creating a clearer responsibility system between airlines, intermediaries, terminal operators, and national authorities.
What exactly happened on June 25?
According to the communication from the EU Council, the Council and the European Parliament have provisionally agreed on rules that would strengthen the enforcement of passenger rights across the Union, extending to all major modes of transport. The goal is not to introduce a single new complaint form, but a more transparent system: passengers must receive clearer information about their rights before departure and during the journey, complaint handling must become more traceable, and authorities must be given more tools to investigate violations.
The agreement would amend five different passenger rights regulations operating by transport sector. This is significant because today's journeys often do not stop at a single mode of transport. For example, a Hungarian family might reach the airport by car or train, continue by plane, and then proceed by bus or rail in the destination country. If a serious disruption occurs at any point of the journey, the passenger does not need theoretical legal categories, but understandable information, verifiable answers, and a functioning complaint process.
Why is this important for those purchasing flight tickets through intermediaries?
One of the most important parts of the fresh agreement concerns the refund of flight tickets purchased through intermediaries. Many Hungarian passengers do not book directly on the airline's website, but through online travel agencies, search portals, or package deals. If the flight is cancelled or the service is not fulfilled as planned, a common problem is that the passenger does not know whether they should request their money back from the airline, the intermediary, or the travel agency.
According to the new EU directive, refund rules must be made more transparent. Based on the agreement, an eligible passenger could expect a full refund in case of flight cancellation, including the intermediary fee. Intermediaries would have to inform the passenger at the time of booking about what refund system applies to the ticket, and airlines would have to publicly indicate whether they cooperate with intermediaries in processing refunds.
Deadlines are also important: according to the agreement, a passenger entitled to a refund should generally receive the amount within seven days, and if the intermediary paid the airline from its own account, the deadline would be fourteen days. In daily travel practice, this can make a big difference, because in the case of a cancelled holiday or business trip, it is often not just the ticket price that is tied up, but new bookings, accommodation changes, and airport transfers can also cause additional costs.
Common forms and clearer complaint handling may come
One of the old weak points of passenger rights is that the rules are known to many, but the enforcement of claims is complicated. Airlines and other providers use different forms, different online interfaces, and often difficult-to-compare answers. The current agreement therefore promises standardized refund and compensation forms at the EU level, which could be submitted electronically or through other channels, such as by mail.
This does not mean that every dispute is automatically decided in favor of the passenger. The airline or provider may still have legitimate arguments, such as in the case of extraordinary circumstances. The difference is rather that the refusal, the deadlines, and the complaint path must be more traceable. In a well-functioning system, the passenger does not spend weeks searching for which interface to upload the boarding pass, booking number, and proof of delay, but knows exactly what document is needed, who to send it to, and when to expect an answer.
National authorities would receive a stronger role
The agreement would also strengthen the role of national enforcement bodies. These are the authorities to which a passenger can turn if they feel the provider has violated EU passenger rights rules. The goal is for these bodies not only to receive complaints but, if necessary, to carry out inspections, investigations, interviews, and audits, as well as to cooperate better with each other in cross-border cases.
This is particularly important for Hungarian travelers, because many popular routes are not exclusively Hungarian matters. A journey starting from Budapest but transferring in another EU country, a holiday flight booked from Vienna, or a ticket purchased through a foreign intermediary can involve multiple jurisdictions. If the interpretation and authority practice differ greatly by country, the passenger can easily get lost in the system. The EU's goal now is for the application of rules to be more uniform and for the passenger to receive clearer information on where and how to file a complaint.
How does all this relate to carry-on baggage and delay compensation?
The June 25 agreement does not stand alone. A few days earlier, on June 15, 2026, the EU Council and the European Parliament announced a separate agreement on a more comprehensive modernization of air passenger rights. This agreement reinforces, among other things, the compensation logic for delays and cancellations, more detailed rules for assistance, re-routing options, and tariff transparency.
One of the most echoed elements of the air passenger rights bargain is carry-on baggage. According to the agreement, the flight ticket price should be displayed at the beginning of the booking process such that it includes the basic allowance for carry-on baggage, so that passengers can more easily compare airline prices. Airlines could, however, offer cheaper tickets to those who voluntarily travel without carry-on baggage. This approach is not simply about everyone receiving the same service, but about ensuring that the most important price comparison is not based on hidden costs.
Regarding delay compensation, EU institutions indicated that the three-hour threshold would remain an important reference point. According to the Council's presentation, compensation levels would largely remain similar to the system known today: for shorter flights 250 euros, for medium-distance or EU flights 400 euros, and for longer flights 600 euros could be the guiding amount if conditions are met. However, the final text of the detailed rules will only be truly decisive after formal adoption, so passengers should continue to check the currently applicable rules and the airline's information.
What does this mean for Hungarian passengers departing from Budapest or Vienna?
In practice, Hungarian travelers should think on two levels. The first is the current travel security and organizational routine: before departure, check the booking, baggage conditions, boarding pass, passport or ID requirements, as well as airport timing. Those departing from Budapest Airport should monitor the Budapest live flight information; those choosing Vienna can similarly find it useful to check departures and arrivals on the Vienna Airport page and the VIE live flight information.
The second level is the preservation of evidence. If a flight delay, cancellation, denial of boarding, or baggage dispute occurs, the passenger should keep the booking confirmation, boarding pass, airline messages, screenshots of airport displays, invoices for additional costs, and any information revealing the cause and time of the disruption. This is useful today and will remain so under the new rules, because a compensation or refund claim is built on a verifiable event, not general dissatisfaction.
It is also important to adjust airport logistics not only to the schedule but also to the risk. During the summer peak season, with an early departure or traveling with large luggage, it can matter a lot when the passenger arrives at the terminal. For those planning their exit in Budapest or Vienna in advance, airport transfer can also be part of risk management: pre-considering the Budapest airport transfer and the Vienna airport transfer is particularly useful if the flight departs at dawn or if the movement of multiple passengers and luggage must be solved.
What should families and passengers with reduced mobility pay attention to?
One of the important directions of the agreements is the protection of more vulnerable passengers. According to the air passenger rights compromise, families, passengers living with disabilities or with reduced mobility, those traveling with a companion, pregnant passengers, and unaccompanied minors would receive stronger, more detailed protection. The June 25 enforcement agreement states that passengers living with disabilities and those with reduced mobility continue to be entitled to free assistance during the journey.
A particularly essential element is that if an airline requires travel with a companion for safety reasons and cannot provide the necessary assistance, then the chosen companion of the affected passenger could travel free of charge and sit next to them. This is not merely a matter of convenience: for many travelers, independent movement, use of the restroom, transferring, communication, or handling an unexpected flight modification depends on whether assistance is truly available.
What should not be misunderstood?
The current EU process is important, but it does not solve every travel problem by magic. It does not guarantee that there will be no delays, cancellations, or long queues during the summer peak season. Nor does it mean that every compensation claim is automatically granted, or that airlines cannot refer to extraordinary circumstances if those truly directly caused the disruption. The point is rather that the passenger has a better chance of receiving understandable information, submitting a claim through a standardized channel, and requesting more effective authority assistance if necessary.
It is also likely that the business models of airlines will adapt. If carry-on baggage prices appear more transparently, or certain services are included in a default package, this does not necessarily mean cheaper tickets for every passenger. Rather, it may mean that the difference between the advertised price and the actual travel cost will be more visible. For Hungarian travelers, this is advantageous because when choosing between Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, or other nearby airports, it is worth looking at the packages, seats, transfers, schedule risk, and refund conditions together, not just the base price.
Practical checklist before departure
- Check whether the ticket was purchased directly from the airline or through an intermediary, and save the confirmation.
- Check the carry-on baggage, checked baggage, and seat rules separately, as applicable conditions may differ by airline.
- Follow the airport live flight information before departure, especially for connecting flights or peak season travel.
- In case of delay or cancellation, keep invoices, messages, boarding passes, and all official information.
- If you file a complaint, first use the provider's official channel, then, if necessary, turn to the relevant national authority or an alternative dispute resolution forum.
Summary
The June 25 EU agreement is not a spectacular, immediately felt airport change, but an important station in a longer legislative process. Yet it has great significance because it targets one of the hardest parts of daily travel problems: how a passenger can actually enforce their rights if the service is not fulfilled according to the contract.
Hungarian travelers should not panic now, but rather prepare more consciously. The most important rule remains that the booking, baggage, the airport arrival, live flight information, and the preservation of documents together provide security. If the new EU rules enter into force in the planned direction, it may be easier in the future to file a complaint, request a refund, compensation claim, and navigate who is responsible for the passenger during a more complex European journey.