The European Commission has urged airlines to agree on standardised luggage sizes to simplify travel for passengers.
Varying size regulations cause confusion and extra costs. While the Commission prefers airlines to establish these standards voluntarily, it hinted at potential intervention if progress stalls.
Additionally, it proposed reinforcing passenger rights, particularly regarding reimbursement for delayed or cancelled trips. The Commission aims to create a standardised EU reimbursement form and enhance passenger awareness of their rights, especially for multi-modal trips or bookings through intermediaries.
Europe’s leading airlines, represented by A4E, reacted on the Commission’s proposal and are calling on EU member states to leverage a new passenger rights proposal to break the impasse on a broader reform that has stagnated for ten years. This proposal, introduced as part of a legislative package, offers limited improvements in passenger protection but lacks crucial clarity on core air passenger rights aspects, including compensation entitlements and extraordinary circumstances definitions, as recommended by the Commission a decade ago.
A4E encourages member states to heed Commissioner V?lean’s advice and discuss the original reform proposal alongside the latest suggestions. The aim is to create a unified regulation that provides comprehensive clarity for both passengers and transport operators.