A package of reforms granting additional rights to air passengers was formally approved by the Council of the European Union on Monday.

The reforms, which had already been greenlighted by the European Parliament, will apply to all departures from airports in the bloc and to arrivals if operated by an EU-based airline.

The new rules are to go into force in mid-2027.

What are the new rules?

• Children below 14 will have the right to sit next to their parents without seat reservation fees
• Pregnant people and those with reduced mobility will also be able to sit next to a travel companion without seat reservation fees
• Airlines will be obliged to correct false spellings of passenger names on tickets free of charge
• They will also be required to provide printed boarding passes to checked-in passengers at no extra cost
• Airlines, intermediaries and booking platforms will be required to display fares including cabin baggage by default to enable an easier price comparison
• Passengers who miss the outbound leg of a return ticket will be able to take the return flight with no penalty
• Passengers who are forced to travel in a lower class than booked will receive automatic refunds
• Clearer rules on flight disruption

Rules on passenger compensation in the case of delayed or cancelled flights are to remain largely unchanged, with passengers still entitled to some refund if a flight is at least three hours late and the airline is at fault.

Under the rules, airlines will not be considered responsible for incidents involving unruly passengers, weather conditions, natural disasters or strikes by airport or ground-handling staff.

However, compensation claims are to be made easier and passenger rights in the case of disruption to their travel will be clarified.

The reforms mean that:

• Passengers will have to be given information on their rights in writing within 96 hours of the end of their journey
• They will have nine months to file a claim
• Airlines will then have to pay compensation or explain a refusal within 30 calendar days

In the case of a travel disruption, passengers will be entitled to:

• A refreshment after two hours
• A meal after three hours
• Meals every five hours after that (a maximum of three meals a day)
• Free accommodation in a hotel if necessary, along with free transport to and from the lodgings

DW