Despite me getting my hand-luggage packing down to the finest of arts (in my humble opinion); it certainly would make the start of my holidays far less stressful if I didn’t have to scurry past the boarding desk, holding my breath, and praying to the holiday-gods that the person checking my passport doesn’t clock on to the fact that I have three extra bags hidden under my jumper. I think I’d prefer to casually saunter on to the plane, knowing full well that I wasn’t breaking any rules, and wasn’t potentially about to be hit with a hefty baggage fee. And it seems like my prayers may finally be being answered.
Travellers in the EU could soon be able to take hand luggage onto a plane for free, as lawmakers have recently voted to scrap the additional fees on airlines across Europe. The proposed rule will allow passengers to travel with up to seven kilograms worth of carry-on luggage. On top of the small under-seat item already included. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
Whilst this news come as music to the ears of European holiday-makersit’s likely that some of the low-cost airlines won’t be quite so thrilled at the prospect. Ryanair supposedly made a whopping €4.7 billion last year from charging extra fees for the likes of luggage and seat selection. And it’s been suggested that if this new rule is passed, airlines might end up charging more for their tickets to make up for the additional costs.
This new rule comes as part of wider efforts proposed by the European Parliament to increase the rights of airline passengers. Other new measures that could come into play include no longer charging for seat selection for under 12 year-olds, changing the way airlines handle compensation claims, and enforcing airlines to be more transparent about total flight costs earlier in the booking process.
Matteo Riccivice-president of the EU Committee on Transport and Tourismsaid that the vote “marks an important step toward fairer and more transparent travel” and that “parliament is taking a strong position that defends citizens’ rights.”
When could these new rules be introduced?
There’s no set timeline on when this new hand luggage rule could come into effect. But according to the European Parliament’s press release, it could be taking its next steps as early as July 2025 (yes, next month), dependent on whether the legislation gets the green light.
