EU Parliament approves upgraded air passenger rights

European Parliament approved (07-Jul-2026) upgraded EU air passenger rights rules with 646 votes in favour, 12 against and three abstentions. Key provisions include:

• Compensation for flight delays exceeding three hours, with amounts ranging from EUR300 to EUR600 depending on flight distance;
• Automatic reimbursement if passengers choose refund over rerouting;
• Passengers facing travel disruptions will receive "clear instructions" on submitting compensation requests within four days of journey termination;
• Passengers have nine months to file compensation requests, while airlines have 30 days to pay compensation or invoke extraordinary circumstances and explain why compensation will not be provided;
• Passengers can take the return flight of a round-trip ticket even if they did not use the outbound flight, without incurring additional fees;
• One personal item plus one small piece of cabin luggage for free;
• Passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility will have the right to compensation, rerouting and assistance by airlines if they miss a flight due to the airport's failure to help them reach the gate on time;
• No seat selection fees for children under 14 years old sitting next to an accompanying adult.

The provisional agreement must be confirmed by the EU Council by early Aug-2026. The updated rules will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU. EU member states and airlines will then have one year to prepare for implementation. [more - original PR]