After thirteen years of negotiations, the European Union is moving ahead with its most significant overhaul of air passenger rights since 2004. A provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the EU Council strengthens traveler protections, imposes greater transparency on airline bookings, and clarifies airline obligations in cases of delays, cancellations, and denied boarding. The Parliament’s delegation on the Conciliation Committee approved the outcome unanimously.
1. The three-hour threshold stays. Despite pressure from the airline industry to raise the trigger for compensation, the three-hour delay rule has been preserved. Passengers remain entitled to financial compensation when their flight arrives at the final destination more than three hours late, when a flight is canceled less than 14 days before departure, or when boarding is denied without valid reason. Compensation amounts are unchanged: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for intra-EU flights and those between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for all other long-haul routes. For flights over 3,500 km, airlines may reduce compensation by 50% if they secure prompt rerouting and the arrival delay does not exceed four hours.
2. Clearer rules on extraordinary circumstances. The new legislation introduces an indicative list of events that exempt airlines from paying compensation, such as natural disasters or air traffic controller strikes. Even in these cases, however, airlines remain obligated to provide care to passengers, including meals, refreshments, communication access, and up to three nights of hotel accommodation where needed.
3. Better care during delays. The new rules spell out airline obligations more clearly. Passengers will be entitled to refreshments every two hours of waiting, a meal after three hours of delay and then every five hours thereafter, internet access and two free phone calls, and free hotel accommodation and transfers when an overnight stay is required. If an airline fails to provide these, passengers may cover the costs themselves and claim reimbursement.
4. Faster compensation processes. Airlines will be required to notify passengers electronically of their rights and compensation procedures within a few days of travel completion. Passengers will have nine months to file a claim, airlines must respond and pay within set timeframes, and any rejection must be clearly explained.
5. No more hidden fees. Airlines, online platforms, and travel intermediaries will be required to display the full ticket price, including carry-on baggage fees, from the very first search result. Passengers will also be entitled to carry one personal item such as a bag or backpack free of charge. Fees for correcting minor spelling errors in passenger details and for printing boarding passes after check-in are also being abolished.
6. Families sit together for free. Airlines must ensure that children up to 14 years old are seated next to their accompanying adult at no additional cost. The same right extends to pregnant passengers and to persons with disabilities or reduced mobility traveling with a companion, putting an end to practices that forced families to pay extra for adjacent seats.
7. Stronger rights for passengers with disabilities. The new rules provide for free transport of mobility equipment and assistance dogs, full compensation for loss or damage to mobility equipment, priority assistance and rerouting, and compensation when a missed connection is caused by a failure of airport support services.
8. Crackdown on the no-show clause. Under current practice, some airlines automatically cancel the remaining legs of a booking if a passenger misses an earlier flight on the same reservation. The new agreement significantly curtails this practice and bans it entirely for passengers with reduced mobility, pregnant travelers, and unaccompanied minors.
9. Rerouting within three hours, or up to 400% compensation. In the event of a cancellation or denied boarding, airlines must offer an alternative transportation option within three hours. If they fail to do so, passengers have the right to arrange their own travel with another carrier or by other means and claim reimbursement of up to 400% of the original ticket price.
10. No forced app downloads. Passengers will not be required to create user accounts or download airline-specific apps to access their travel information or boarding passes. Airlines must offer at least one free and effective way to communicate with their customers.
The provisional agreement will now undergo legal-linguistic review before being put to separate votes in the European Parliament and the EU Council. Once formally adopted, millions of European travelers will benefit from a modern, clearer framework of rights suited to 21st-century air travel.
