New EU air passenger rights: what travellers need to know

On Monday 15 June 2026, the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on new air passenger rights, updating rules that had remained unchanged since 2004. This new package is designed to strengthen protection for passengers flying in Europe.

The agreement is still provisional. It must be confirmed by both the European Parliament and the Council within six weeks, with the option of a two-week extension, and then voted during the Parliament’s July plenary session.

Key changes at a glance for trips to Spain, Italy and Portugal

The updated rules focus on making air travel fairer and clearer for passengers. The agreement:

• Strengthens protection when journeys are disrupted by:
  • Flight delays
  • Cancellations
  • Denied boarding
• Keeps and clarifies the right to a refund or alternative flight
• Simplifies and speeds up refunds and compensation procedures
• Improves transparency on ticket prices, especially around hand luggage
• Introduces specific protections for:
  • Families travelling with children under 14
  • People with disabilities
  • People with reduced mobility
  • Pregnant women
• Sets minimum standards for care at the airport in the event of long waits.

When compensation and refunds apply

Situations where travellers can claim money back

Under the new rules, passengers retain the right to a refund or an alternative flight when their flight is cancelled. Compensation is due in specific situations:

• Delay of more than three hours
• Flight cancellation less than 14 days before departure
• Denied boarding

These rights apply to passengers affected by disruption such as significant delays or cancellations, as long as the problem is not caused by exceptional circumstances outside the airline’s control.

How much compensation passengers can receive

Compensation levels are linked to the distance of the flight:

• €250 for routes up to 1,500 km
• €400 for routes between 1,500 km and 3,500 km
• €600 for all longer routes

For longer flights, airlines may reduce compensation by 50% if:

• An alternative flight to the final destination is offered, or
• The delay on arrival does not exceed four hours

When airlines do not have to pay compensation

Airlines can avoid paying compensation if the delay or cancellation is caused by exceptional circumstances beyond their control. These include:

• Natural disasters
• Wars
• Adverse weather conditions
• Undisciplined behaviour by passengers
• Strikes

In these situations, while compensation may not be due, other obligations such as assistance at the airport can still apply.

New timelines and procedures for refunds and claims

How and when to submit a claim

The agreement aims to make refunds and compensation claims more straightforward and transparent. Under the new system:

• Airlines must provide affected passengers with clear electronic instructions on how to submit a compensation request
• This information must be sent within four days after the end of the journey
• Passengers have nine months to submit a claim for compensation

Once a claim is received, airlines have 30 days either to pay the compensation, or invoke exceptional circumstances and explain why compensation is not being paid.

Food, drink and hotel stays during long delays

The updated rules clarify the minimum level of assistance that air operators must provide to stranded passengers. In cases of long waits at the airport, airlines are obliged to offer:

• Drinks every two hours of waiting
• A meal after three hours of waiting
• Hotel accommodation, if necessary in case of prolonged delays, for up to a maximum of three nights

Extra protection for families and vulnerable passengers

Passengers with disabilities and those with reduced mobility gain clearer protection under the new rules. They are entitled to compensation, re-routing and assistance from the airline.

This applies if they miss their flight because the airport fails to provide the necessary support to help them reach the departure gate in time.

Families are given new guarantees around seat allocation. Airlines must ensure that families are not separated when assigning seats. In particular:

• A child under 14 must be seated next to the accompanying person
• This adjacent seating must be provided free of charge

The same right to free adjacent seating applies to people with disabilities, with reduced mobility, and pregnant women

Hand luggage, personal items and clearer ticket prices

The new rules confirm the right to bring one personal item into the cabin free of charge. This can be a small handbag or a backpack

To improve price transparency and comparability, airlines, intermediaries and search engines must display the ticket price including hand luggage from the start of the booking process.

At the same time, airlines may still offer lower fares to passengers who voluntarily choose to travel without hand luggage.

Boarding passes, name errors and digital cards

The agreement also tackles common extra fees and boarding pass problems:

• Airlines cannot charge extra to correct spelling mistakes in a passenger’s name
• Airlines cannot charge extra to issue a printed boarding pass after check-in

Digital boarding passes are also addressed:

• Passengers will be able to obtain a digital boarding pass automatically.
• There is no requirement to submit additional requests, create an account or use a dedicated app.
• No passenger can be refused boarding for presenting a printed version of a digital boarding pass

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