EU Passenger Rights Reform: Clearer Carry-on Baggage and Compensation Rules May Come

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on June 15 regarding the overhaul of air passenger rights. The change is not yet an applicable rule, but if the text is formally adopted, carry-on baggage prices may become more transparent for Hungarian travelers, compensation procedures after delays and cancellations may be simpler, and families, passengers with reduced mobility, and those who did not use their outbound flight may receive stronger protection.

This news is particularly important for the Hungarian market because a significant portion of European flights departing from Budapest and Vienna are operated by airlines where carry-on baggage, seat selection, or various ancillary services can cause a large difference between the cheapest ticket price and the actual price to be paid. For example, those searching for flight tickets from Budapest, Vienna, or on popular city routes, such as to Rome, Barcelona, London Luton or Brussels, often compare not only the schedule and the base price, but also what is included in the ticket.

What Exactly Happened?

The EU air passenger rights system is currently one of the strongest consumer protection frameworks in the world, but daily practice has become difficult to follow in many respects. The basis of the rules has been operating for more than two decades, and the amendment process began as early as 2013. Therefore, the current agreement is not a single small technical change, but an important milestone in the conclusion of a long political and professional debate.

According to the official communication from the Council, the goal is for passengers to receive simpler, clearer, and stronger rights, while taking into account the operational realities of airlines. The European Commission also emphasized that the agreement would provide legal certainty for travelers, airlines, and national authorities. In practice, this means that it is not only the amount of compensation that matters, but also when, how, and under what information it can be claimed.

Not Everything Changes Tomorrow

The most important point of caution: the current agreement does not mean that the new rules have entered into force immediately. The text must be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council, and then the regulation must be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. According to the Commission's information, the revised rules would become applicable 12 months later.

Therefore, passengers flying in the summer or autumn of 2026 must continue to check the current airline conditions. Carry-on baggage size, weight, fee, and onboard placement practices may vary by airline, and it is not advisable to automatically assume that a larger cabin suitcase is included free of charge with every ticket. The reform promises clearer price comparisons, but the final ticket conditions always count during the actual booking.

What Could the Debate Around Carry-on Baggage Mean?

Carry-on baggage has become the most visible element of the reform because many passengers feel this to be the most immediate problem. In recent years, the cheapest tickets often only included a small bag that could be placed under the seat, and a separate fee had to be paid for larger carry-on baggage or priority boarding. This not only caused additional costs but also made it easier to compare offers from airlines and booking sites.

According to the Council's text, fares should by default be displayed such that they include the entitlement to one piece of carry-on baggage, even at the beginning of the booking process. The Commission phrases this more cautiously, stating that the agreement strengthens the transparency and comparability of fares, including carry-on baggage fees, while airlines can still freely shape their pricing structures.

From the perspective of Hungarian travelers, this means that the reform is not simply about whether a bag can be taken on board. The greater value may be that it is clearer at the start of the search which offer includes what. Between a ticket that seems to be 19 euros and one that is 45 euros, the order can easily flip today if carry-on baggage, seats, or airport processing must be paid for separately. If the rule truly brings more transparent display, it could help a more realistic comparison of the total travel cost.

The Three-Hour Delay Threshold Remains

Another key point is compensation after delays and cancellations. According to the Commission's communication, the main protection remains that passengers can claim compensation in the event of a delay or flight cancellation of three hours or more, provided the legal conditions are met. The amounts depend on the flight distance, similar to the current system: 250 euros for flights under 1500 kilometers, 400 euros for flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometers or flights within the EU, and 600 euros for longer journeys.

This is important for Hungarian passengers because most European trips centered around Budapest and Vienna may fall into the first two categories, while higher amounts may come into play for longer intercontinental flights departing from the EU or arriving in the EU with an EU airline. However, compensation is still not automatic for every delay: the cause of the delay, so-called extraordinary circumstances, the airline's responsibility, and the actual delay in arrival matter.

Simpler Administration: 96 Hours and 30 Days

One of the most practical parts of the reform concerns the administrative process. According to the Council, if a delay occurs that could be the basis for compensation, the airline must electronically inform the passenger of their rights and how to submit a claim within 96 hours after arrival. The airline must immediately confirm receipt of the request, and then within 30 days, it must either pay or explain with clear justification why the claim is rejected.

This could be a significant difference compared to current experiences. Many passengers today only find out later, through searching or based on advertisements from intermediary companies, that they have a claim at all. If the new regulation truly forces active information, then rights will be less theoretical. Despite this, Hungarian travelers should continue to keep their boarding passes, booking confirmations, messages received about the delay, and any invoices paid for services not provided by the airline.

Care During Delays: Food, Communication, Accommodation

The agreement would also clarify the right to care. According to the Council's information, in the event of a disruption, passengers may be entitled to refreshments every two hours of waiting, meals after three hours, and further meals every five hours, up to three times a day. Internet access and two phone calls are also listed. If a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary, the airline must provide accommodation and airport-hotel transfers.

This is especially important when a flight cancellation affects the passenger late in the evening or in a foreign city. For example, those who book accommodation around Budapest airport or near Vienna airport due to a dawn departure know well that airport logistics alone can be expensive. Therefore, in the event of a delay or cancellation, it matters whether organizing the care is the airline's task or whether the passenger must pay for everything in advance and claim it back later.

No-show Rule: Why is it Good News for the Return Trip?

A less visible but important element of the reform for many travelers is the ban on the return no-show practice. According to some airline conditions, if a passenger did not use the outbound segment, their return flight could also be at risk. The agreement would ban this practice: a passenger could not be excluded from the return flight because they did not fly the outbound segment, and no fee could be charged for boarding the return flight.

This does not encourage passengers to trick with tickets, as tariff rules and airline conditions remain important. Rather, it is about ensuring that an unexpected situation, such as illness, alternative travel solutions or scheduling problems, does not automatically make the return trip unusable. For families, business travelers, and vacations involving multiple cities, this could be a real consumer protection advancement.

Families and Passengers with Reduced Mobility

The agreement would also strengthen the rights of passengers with specific needs. According to the Council, passengers living with disabilities or with reduced mobility, children, unaccompanied minors, and pregnant passengers would receive stronger protection. Families and passengers with reduced mobility, and their companions, could, for example, sit together free of charge under defined conditions.

This part is essential because flying today is often not just about the ticket. For a family, the scattering of seats, for a passenger with reduced mobility, the handling of assistive devices, and for an unaccompanied minor, information and ground support are fundamental parts of the travel safety. The new framework aims to ensure these are not matters of goodwill or customer service flexibility, but clearer rights.

Which Flights Could This Apply To?

The scope of the regulation, according to official communications, remains basically unchanged. It applies to flights departing from the EU, regardless of whether they are operated by an EU or non-EU airline. For flights arriving in the EU from a third country, it applies if an EU airline operates the flight. This means that a European or overseas journey departing from Budapest is a different situation than a flight arriving from outside Europe with a non-EU airline.

Hungarian travelers should therefore check who the operating airline is, where the flight departs from, and whether they are traveling on a single ticket or with separate bookings at the time of booking. With separate tickets, the risk of connection is often the passenger's, so the protection may not be the same as with a continuous booking. This is especially important for those who put together cheap connecting routes via London, Brussels, or Barcelona.

What Should the Hungarian Traveler Do Now?

In the short term, the most important advice is that no one should book as if the new system were already operating. For 2026 flights, the current airline carry-on baggage policy, ticket type, and booking conditions still count. When searching for flight tickets, it is advisable to look at the total price: carry-on baggage, checked baggage, seat, airport transfer, accommodation for early departures, and the return trip flexibility together give the real cost. For departures from Budapest, for example, the airport transfer, and for departures from Vienna, the VIE airport access can also be factored into which offer is worth it.

In the medium term, however, the reform is good news. Not necessarily because everything will be cheaper, but because the final price and the passenger rights situation may become more understandable. Airlines are expected to shape their prices to comply with the rules, so the structure of base prices and packages may change. From the passenger's perspective, the biggest gain may be that there are fewer surprises at the end of the booking and that after a delay or cancellation, they do not have to figure out what their rights are.

Summary

The EU passenger rights reform is not an immediate revolution, but a significant regulatory package that is still awaiting formal adoption. The three-hour delay threshold and the 250-400-600 euro compensation logic may remain, the administration may become faster and more unambiguous, and the price display around carry-on baggage may be more transparent. For Hungarian travelers, now the most important thing is to continue to check the specific conditions for 2026 bookings, but also to monitor the final adoption of the reform, because from 2027, the purchase of European flight tickets may look noticeably different.

Sources: communication of the Council of the European Union on June 15, 2026, information from the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, and background materials from Euronews and Business Travel News Europe.