The European Parliament, with a vote tally of 646 to 12, alongside the European Council, ratified the agreement reached on 15 June that updates air passenger rights. From mid-2027, travelers will benefit from enhanced protections, including quicker reimbursements and improved price transparency.
Summer, the peak season for airports, has arrived. Many travelers may already have encountered flight delays or cancellations, coupled with complicated airline websites when requesting refunds or compensation, often resulting in denials without clear explanations.
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These conditions are set to improve starting mid-2027.
On 7 July, the Parliament gave its approval to amend EU Regulation 261/2004 concerning air passenger rights, with the Council confirming it shortly after on 13 July. This follows nearly a month since legislators agreed on boosting air passenger protections, concluding 13 years of negotiations.
MEPs upheld the entitlement to compensation ranging from €250 to €600 for flight delays exceeding three hours, depending on the flight distance. Provisions for reimbursement or re-routing in the event of cancellations have been maintained.
Passengers will now be able to correct misspellings in their names free of charge and obtain a digital boarding pass at check-in without the requirement of a specific app. Additionally, children under 14 and passengers with disabilities are entitled to sit beside their accompanying person at no additional expense.
Airlines are obliged to provide transparent guidelines on compensation processes and must send an electronic standardized EU-wide compensation form (or their own equivalent) for passengers to complete. Flight cancellations are permitted only under “extraordinary circumstances,” and airlines must disclose the reason behind disruptions. Carry-on luggage fees must be included in the base fare, and inbound flights cannot be cancelled due to a passenger failing to show up on the outbound leg.
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