EU strikes air passenger rights deal, keeps 3-hour delay payout after decade-long dispute

Compensation thresholds survive industry push

After more than a decade of negotiations, the EU Parliament and member states agreed to leave the core compensation rules unchanged. Passengers will still qualify for compensation when their flight is delayed by at least three hours, a point fiercely contested by some governments who wanted to push the threshold to four.

Today we completed the first revision of EU air passenger rights, which have been in place for over two decades. I am proud that we have achieved the right balance. EU air passenger rights have been improved and will remain the strongest in the world.

The payout amounts are scaled by distance, exactly as they have been since 2004: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for routes between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for trips exceeding 3,500 km. Carriers will be able to halve the long-haul compensation if they rebook a passenger onto an alternative flight that arrives less than four hours late.

What changes for cabin baggage and pricing

The agreement puts an end to hidden charges.

Airlines, travel intermediaries and search platforms must display the final ticket price from the very first step of booking, with a cabin baggage allowance included. Passengers are entitled to a free small personal item (up to 40 cm × 30 cm × 15 cm) and a larger wheeled carry-on with a combined dimension of 100 cm and a maximum weight of 7 kg. Carriers can still charge for bigger bags, but the fee has to be baked into the headline fare; discounts may be offered to those who travel without cabin baggage.

Families and vulnerable passengers gain new guarantees

Families with children will no longer be separated on board, and an accompanying adult is guaranteed a free adjacent seat for children under 14. The text bans the "no-show" practice that allowed airlines to cancel a return ticket when the outbound leg was not used. Extra fees for correcting minor spelling mistakes in passenger names or for printing a boarding pass at the airport are explicitly outlawed.

Extraordinary circumstances and care obligations

A new indicative list defines extraordinary circumstances that exempt airlines from paying compensation: extreme weather, natural disasters, war, and strikes by airport or air traffic control staff. Even in those cases, carriers remain obliged to provide care (refreshments, meals and accommodation for up to three nights). Airlines will also have to inform passengers of their rights within four days of travel and respond to compensation claims within 30 days.

A decade-long legislative journey

The Commission first proposed a revision in 2012, but years of lobbying from airlines wanting greater flexibility and consumer groups defending the status quo produced a stalemate. A political flashpoint came in 2024 when Spain’s consumer ministry fined low-cost carriers €179 million over cabin baggage fees. After a final push under the Cypriot presidency, EU ambassadors reached a deal on Friday 12 June 2026, with the European Parliament’s conciliation committee unanimously backing it. Final ratification is scheduled for today in Brussels, closing a dossier opened more than ten years ago.