Some of those irksome airline charges could soon be flying off into the distance if the EU gets its way.

A ban on charging families extra to sit next to their young children, and a guarantee of free hand luggage for passengers, are amongst a host of changes set to be introduced across Europe.

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament voted through the measures to boost passenger rights.

Last-minute family travel checklist for your next trip away with the kids

They also include a common form for compensation and reiumbursement requests as well as a defined list of extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or war, under which airlines can deny those.

The measures would apply to all flights departing or arriving within the EU.

Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty was among those who had called for an end to charging parents a seat reservation fee to sit next to their child. She said she had long been ‘incensed’ by the practice.

‘Children under 2 shouldn’t be without their parents,’ she told Newstalk Breakfast. ‘Airlines, I felt, were taking advantage of the fact that if they wanted to sit their families together, they had to pay extra charges.

‘No more now – the committee voted yesterday that airlines will not be able to charge families extra for sitting together.’

Following the committee’s decision, the proposals will be voted on by the European Parliament in the coming weeks.

If approved by MEPs, they will then be discussed by the European Council and will need to be negotiated with and approved by member states before they can enter into force.

‘We had little or no resistance because I think everyone knows this is a common-sense approach,’ Ms Doherty said.

She said the EU lawmakers had also voted to bar carry-on luggage fees on planes. Many low-cost air carriers include only one small on-board item in the ticket, charging extra for other hand baggage.

The transport committee adopted a proposal that would allow travellers to bring a personal item into the cabin, such as a handbag or backpack, and a hand luggage of up to 7kg (15lbs), at no extra fee.

The measure sought to spare passengers’ ‘unjustified extra costs’, said Matteo Ricci, a centre-left lawmaker and the Bill’s lead sponsor.

Attention has also been given to streamlining reimbursements for multimodal travel, namely journeys combining different types of transport such as trains, planes, buses, or ferries.

Ms Doherty added that while any change in the law will likely come after most families’ summer holiday this year, she still expects it to happen ‘very soon’.

The proposed ban on extra carry-on charges has been strongly opposed by the aviation sector. Airlines for Europe (A4E), an industry association, suggested it would result in higher flight prices.

A4E managing director Ourania Georgoutsakou said: ‘What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your popcorn ticket?’