EU air passenger rights deal keeps compensation at €250–€600 for delays over 3 hours after MEPs block watering-down

A long-delayed agreement

European Parliament and Council negotiators signed off on a comprehensive update to EU air passenger rights in Strasbourg on 15 June 2026. The existing regulation, which has been in place since 2004, will be overhauled once the agreed text receives formal approval from the Council and the full Parliament. Both steps are considered a formality, the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reports. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Cyprus Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades endorsed the accord, which still needs the final green light.

This agreement will strengthen the rights of air passengers across Europe.

The modernised framework is fair for everyone involved.

Compensation thresholds unchanged

The most contested element was the compensation timeline. Member states had originally pushed to raise the threshold from three to four hours before a payout kicks in, according to RP Online and ZEIT ONLINE. Lawmakers defeated that attempt. Compensation tiers remain exactly as they were: 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 kilometres, 400 euros for distances between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres, and 600 euros for journeys beyond 3,500 kilometres. The same amounts apply when a flight is cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure, provided the airline is at fault. An open list of extraordinary circumstances such as natural disasters, war, weather events, unruly passengers or strikes can exempt carriers from paying.

Passengers now have nine months to submit a compensation claim after a disruption. Airlines must acknowledge receipt immediately and reply within 14 days, either paying the sum or issuing a clear refusal with reasons. During long tarmac waits, carriers must offer free snacks and drinks after two hours, a meal after three hours, internet access and, when an overnight stay is required, hotel accommodation and airport transfers.

Free seating for families and better luggage rules

Children under 14 will be seated next to their parents at no extra cost, eliminating separate seat-reservation fees. The same right extends to pregnant women, passengers with reduced mobility and their accompanying persons. A small piece of hand luggage, typically a backpack, must be included in the base fare. When consumers search for flights online, the default price displayed must include the cost of hand luggage to make comparison easier, although airlines may still sell tickets without larger cabin baggage at a lower price. The new rules also prohibit denying boarding to a passenger simply because they did not take the outbound leg of a return journey.

Political reaction

MEPs from several political groups welcomed the outcome but noted it fell short of the Parliament's initial ambitions.

It is not the historic improvement the Parliament would have wished for, but it is a clear improvement on the status quo and, above all, a clear rejection of the attempt by some member states to water down passenger rights.

The Parliament has prevented a rollback of passenger rights. There are improvements for families with children and for passengers with reduced mobility. An important step in the right direction is that airlines must now send passengers a message during disruptions explaining their rights and how to claim them.

Socialist MEP Vivien Costanzo also stressed that the provisions would make it easier for travellers to enforce their rights.

Next steps

The provisional deal must be formally adopted by the Council of the EU and by a plenary vote in the European Parliament. Both institutions treat the vote as a procedural step. Once ratified, the new regulation will replace the current rules that have governed air passenger protection since 2004.