Airlines will be legally obliged to seat families with children under the age of 14 entirely together on flights without having to pay extra fees, under proposed law changes put forward by the European Parliament.
The same rules, which will be voted on next month after significant behind closed doors negotiations in recent weeks, are also due to apply to a group which includes someone who is pregnant and for people with specific physical disabilities.
The plans were confirmed at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, this evening, in addition to the reinforcement of a series of other supports for tourists and travellers across the EU.
In recent months, background discussions have been taking place between the European Council and the European Parliament about whether existing protections for airline passengers go far enough, or if they were unfairly impacting on airlines.
The debate had led to fears among some MEPs and consumer watchdogs across the EU that airline passenger supports risked being watered down amid intense lobbying of the European Council by some industry groups.
However, in a press conference this evening, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola confirmed that a provisional agreement is now in place to increase protections for travellers.
The supports, which are likely to be voted on by both the European Parliament and the European Council in July, include:
- Families travelling with children under the age of 14 will have a legal right to be seated together without the need to pay any additional fees.
- Passengers will have the right to bring on one item of hand luggage without an extra fee, although airlines will also be allowed to charge passengers who do not bring on any hand luggage a lower fee.
- Passengers have retained the right to be compensated if their flight is delayed for three hours or more, or is cancelled within 14 days of the planned trip.
- Compensation for delayed or cancelled flights will range from €250 for journeys up to 1,500km to more than €600 for journeys longer than 3,500km, with airlines able to cut the cost in half if they offer to re-route the passenger or if the delay is less than four hours.
- Airlines will be ordered to provide clear and transparent information on flight delay compensation rights to passengers via their e-mail, and regardless of whether they have signed up to an airline-specific app or not.
As part of the rules, passengers will have nine months to make a claim, while airlines will have 30 days to pay out once a claim is made. Airlines will retain their right to avoid payment under certain extreme scenarios, such as war or extreme weather events.
Last week, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority said it is investigating Ryanair over what it said was a €9 “mandatory family seat” charge over concerns it was an unfair charge for parents to sit beside their children.
However, in a statement last week responding to the development, a Ryanair spokesperson described the move as a “bogus” investigation, and said the company is complying with all laws as: “Ryanair does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent or accompanying adult. Like all adults who select a reserved seat, adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats beside them for up to four children on the same booking free of charge.”
Speaking in Strasbourg this evening about the wider possibility of EU legal change, which is likely to be rubberstamped in July, Ms Metsola said: “This agreement will strengthen the rights of air passengers across Europe. It will bring greater transparency and predictability for both consumers and airlines, without creating unnecessary bureaucracy for our industries.
“(The European) Parliament fought hard to make travel fairer and procedures clearer, and this is what we have delivered.”
