Traveling by plane without many difficulties. The great revolution in airlines

Air travel is very popular, but for years nothing has changed in many legal and technical issues regarding this industry. For a long time, the European Union has been working on new legal regulations that will standardize the rules for carriers. The first major revolution in 20 years is coming, and… The changes are to be approved on Monday, June 15, at the plenary session in Strasbourg, which is described as a “formality”. Tourists will gain a lot.

Changes in airlines

The European Parliament is still waiting to adopt the amendment to the act. As part of the changes being pushed forward, many burdensome and unexpected fees imposed on flight passengers will be eliminated. Penalty for incorrectly entering your name on your boarding pass or an additional fee to sit next to your child? This will be forgotten.

Once the changes are approved, airlines will have one year to implement them, which means they should apply from mid-2027. Then tourists will be able to count on:

• free correction of a typo in the name or surname on the boarding pass up to 48 hours before departure,

• a guarantee that the child will sit next to the parent without the need for an additional fee,

• the right to choose between a paper and digital version of your boarding pass,

• easier obtaining compensation for a significant flight delay – airlines must inform passengers about their rights and “technical faults” are excluded as force majeure exempting from the payment of compensation,

• a guarantee of a place on a connecting flight, even if the passenger misses the first flight and only wants to take the second one – until now, the airline could remove such a person from the rest of the route.

Luggage issues are also key.

Hand luggage included in the ticket price. This will change

“Sometimes the fees for baggage are higher than for the ticket, which is why the European Parliament also reacts in this matter,” said Łukasz Kohut, MEP. After the changes introduced, tourists will not be exposed to additional costs, and detailed information about possible surcharges will be clearly justified and specified in advance – already at the stage of ticket selection.

Under the new regulations, it will be the same on all flights in Europe. The price of an airline ticket should always include one piece of hand luggage (a small cabin suitcase or a larger backpack), which was previously criticized by the head of Ryanair. Interestingly, tourists will be able to give up such luggage and get a discount on their trip. Concerns may be raised by the fact that airlines themselves will set the maximum dimensions and weight of a cabin suitcase.