Fact check: The EU hasn’t banned carry-on luggage fees (yet)

Misleading claims that nan European Union has moved to prohibit airlines from charging passengers to transportation connected manus luggage person made headlines worldwide, triggering wide misinformation connected societal media.

Euroverify identified respective reputable media outlets making these claims, which person past been amplified successful respective languages connected Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

But nan 27-country bloc has not outlawed compartment container fees. It is an action connected nan table, but location are plentifulness of obstacles earlier nan connection could go law.

Rule projected by parliament, but not yet confirmed

On 24 June, nan European Parliament’s carrier committee voted successful favour of a connection to let aerial passengers to recreation pinch 2 items of carry-on luggage astatine nary other cost.

If approved, this would oblige airlines to fto passengers recreation pinch 1 individual point – specified arsenic a handbag — arsenic good arsenic a bigger carry-on container weighing up to 7 kg, and measuring up to 100 cm successful mixed width, magnitude and height, free of charge.

The 100 cm magnitude is somewhat smaller than nan existent maximum compartment container dimensions permitted by astir airlines.

The connection is portion of an overhaul of a 2004 EU measure connected rider rights, which has been stalled for years. Poland, which presided complete nan Council of nan EU for nan first six months of this year, had made it a privilege to make advancement connected nan reform.

Also connected nan array are changes to EU rules triggering mandatory compensation for formation delays.

But nan 24 July ballot does not alteration anything. It simply intends that nan parliament’s carrier committee wants to spot compartment container fees scrapped.

If nan European Parliament’s plenary approves, nan parliament will push for this alteration successful negotiations pinch nan European Commission and nan Council of nan EU, which represents EU governments.

Only erstwhile these negotiations — known arsenic interinstitutional negotiations — person concluded pinch a discuss tin immoderate changes travel into law.

The discuss matter must past beryllium submitted to a ballot by some nan European Parliament and nan Council earlier it tin go law.

EU governments mostly reason change

The prohibition connected compartment container fees is apt to beryllium a constituent of contention betwixt nan parliament and EU governments represented by nan Council. 

In a associated negotiating position adopted successful early June, nan EU’s carrier ministers do not telephone for nan ban, contempt a fistful of countries, notably Spain, supporting it.

Instead, they opportunity that passengers should beryllium allowed to return individual items “essential for nan long of nan journey” free of charge, specified arsenic recreation documents, medicines, individual devices, books and “food and beverage due to nan long of nan flight”.

Last year, Spain handed retired €179 cardinal successful fines to low-cost airlines Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea for “abusive practices” including other charges for manus luggage, forcing nan companies to extremity those practices.

Ryanair and Norwegian Air appealed, and a Spanish tribunal temporarily halted nan fines past Thursday while nan ineligible situation plays out.

Airlines opportunity move would limit user choice

The position of EU carrier ministers reflects that of airlines and their powerful lobby groups.

Lobby group Airlines for Europe (A4E) has gone arsenic acold arsenic to “condemn” nan parliament’s position, saying it would “remove user prime and enforce a mandatory trolley compartment container connected each passengers."

Citing a Spanish hose association, A4E claims that complete 50 cardinal passengers successful Spain unsocial didn’t request an further portion of compartment baggage past twelvemonth and had “the prime not to person this included arsenic portion of their airfare”.

There are besides fears that low-cost carriers could hike summons prices to compensate for mislaid gross from add-on fees.

Ryanair’s financial results for nan twelvemonth up to March 2025 uncover that their ancillary revenues — meaning fees for add-ons including manus baggage — accounted for a 3rd of their full revenues (€4.7 cardinal retired of a full €13.95 billion).