Airlines will no longer be allowed to charge for carry-on luggage
Members of the European Parliament argue that air passengers should not have to pay for bringing carry-on luggage on board of an airplane. Currently, especially low-budget airlines are charging passengers for bringing hand luggage on board of the airplane. This will no longer be allowed if the European Parliament adopts the resolution on standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage.
Petitions Committee
The Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament adopted a draft resolution that insists on guaranteeing that air passengers can take their carry-on luggage into the cabin without any surcharges. This will apply to all airlines operating within the European Union.
Carry-on luggage must be considered an ‘indispensable item’. Therefore, airlines are not allowed to apply charges for items that can be taken into the cabin, provided that the items comply with reasonable rules for the weight, dimensions, and the security requirements.
Clear rules
The different rules on carry-on luggage applied by airlines are inconvenient for air passengers. For example, the inconsistencies make it more difficult to compare prices. Therefore, the EU legislation on air passenger rights should be improved and provide a solution. This is in line with a ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, in which the Court of Justice stated that airlines may not apply surcharges to carry-on luggage.
Next steps
The European Parliament will vote on this resolution on 4 October, during the upcoming plenary session, which will take place in Strasbourg from 2 to 5 October.