EU Cabin Baggage Proposal: EU Proposes Ban on Hand Luggage Fees for Budget Airlines, ET TravelWorld
EU lawmakers have passed a proposal to eliminate surprise fees for cabin baggage on EU flights, potentially starting in July 2025. The new rule allows passengers to bring a small carry-on bag and a personal item without extra charges. This initiative aims to provide fairer and more transparent travel, addressing concerns about hidden costs imposed by budget airlines.
The next time you fly to or within the European Union, you might not have to worry about extra charges for your cabin bag. A new proposal passed by EU lawmakers on June 24 aims to end surprise fees for small carry-on bags, a common frustration for budget airline passengers. If approved by EU member states, the new rule would let travellers bring one small cabin bag and a personal item onboard without paying extra, starting as early as July 2025, as per a report by BBC News.
The rule applies across all EU flights, including low-cost carriers, and allows a cabin bag up to 7kg in weight and 100cm in size, plus a personal item like a laptop bag or purse that fits under the seat.
“This vote marks an important step toward fairer and more transparent travel,” said Matteo Ricci, Vice-Chair of the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism in a press statement. “It introduces concrete measures such as the clear definition of free hand luggage … a fundamental right to avoid unjustified extra costs.”
Until now, budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air often charged extra for hand baggage, depending on its size and weight. In 2024, Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry fined five carriers EUR 179 million for what it called “abusive practices,” which helped push forward the EU’s latest passenger rights proposal.
The carry-on regulation is part of broader changes meant to protect travellers. Lawmakers have also voted to ban seat selection charges for children under 12 and called for greater clarity in flight pricing, requiring ticket platforms to display the full cost upfront. Additional protections could apply to passengers who miss connecting transport services like buses due to delayed flights, if all legs were booked together.
According to the BBC News report, airlines have voiced opposition to the changes, warning that the cost of free carry-on baggage might be absorbed into overall ticket prices. “Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges them to pay for services they may not want or need,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines For Europe.
If enacted, the law will apply to all flights across and connected to the EU, potentially reshaping the air travel experience for millions.>
