Euro Parliament Fights Back Against Sneaky Reduction of Passenger Perks in EU
Contested Aviation Rights Reduction Proposal Meets Opposition in European Parliament - Controversial Proposal to Limit Passenger Rights Encounters Resistance in the European Parliament
Pissed off about your delayed flight? The EU Parliament's got your back.
The European Parliament isn't willing to let you get screwed over when your flight is delayed. Currently, if your flight is delayed more than three hours, you're entitled to compensation. The EU Commission and most EU countries are trying to hike up that threshold, but the Euro Parliament ain't having it. They're sticking to their old rules.
The reform has been bogged down in Brussels negotiations for ages, but earlier this month, a majority of EU countries finally agreed—to raise the threshold to four hours for short-haul flights and six hours for long-haul. Consumer advocates were holding out hope for some resistance from the Euro Parliament.
But the Parliament delivered, and they wanna let you bring a personal item, like a handbag and a small suitcase, on board for free. To make that happen, they're proposing standardized measurements: the suitcase can't be taller than 46 centimeters, and the total height, width, and length shouldn't exceed a meter.
Airline reps ain't happy about it. The A4E (Airline for Europe) association claims this'll lead to higher costs for all travelers. "In the end, millions of passengers will pay more for a carry-on they don't need or use," they said.
The reform's also got other provisions, like letting parents reserve a neighboring seat for their kids on flights free of charge. The Parliament's trying to make it easy to claim compensation if your flight's delayed, too, with an automatically filled-out form.
The Euro Parliament still needs to vote on the proposal in a plenary session. Negotiations with the Council of EU countries aren't gonna start until the fall.
Keywords:
- Erosion
- European Parliament
- EU
- Compensation claim
- Transport Committee
- Flight
- Euro Parliament
- Brussels
- EU Commission
- Counter-proposal
Insights:
The Euro Parliament's proposing measures to maintain or strengthen compensation eligibility and to prevent fees on carry-on luggage, demonstrating a commitment to safeguarding and enhancing air passenger protections in the EU[1][3][5]. The Council's increasing delay thresholds for compensation has been met with strong criticism by the Parliament, who advocate for continued discussion and protections for air passengers[1][3].
- The European Parliament, in a counter-proposal, is fighting against the erosion of passenger perks in the EU, aiming to maintain and enhance air passenger protections through measures such as maintaining the three-hour delay threshold for compensation and preventing fees on carry-on luggage.
- In the midst of Brussels negotiations and disagreements with the EU Commission and most EU countries over the increase in delay thresholds, the Transport Committee of the Euro Parliament has proposed a standardized carry-on luggage policy, ensuring passengers can bring a personal item like a handbag and small suitcase on board for free, as part of their commitment to safeguarding and enhancing air passenger rights.
[1] Euro Parliament Fights Back Against Sneaky Reduction of Passenger Perks in EU[2] European Parliament to Propose New Rules for Air Travel Compensation[3] EU Parliament Crowd Sources Ideas for New Air Passenger Rights[4] European Parliament Takes on Airlines Over Flight Delay Compensation[5] Euro MPs to Crack Down on Airline Fees for Carry-on Luggage
