REPORTS THAT THE European Union has agreed to make cabin bags free on flights prompted a wave of headlines this week suggesting a major victory for consumers.
“Irish holidaymakers to finally get free cabin bags under new travel rules,” one outlet wrote. “Air travellers to enjoy free cabin luggage after decade-long talks,” another reported.
The reality is slightly more complicated, though it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Under a provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU member states, airlines will still be able to charge less to passengers who want to travel without a cabin bag than to those who bring one.
What is changing is how those prices are presented. Instead of advertising a headline fare and adding cabin baggage fees later in the booking process, airlines will have to display prices that include a cabin bag from the outset.
Passengers who choose to travel without one can then opt for a reduced fare.
Put simply, if you normally pay extra to bring a cabin bag on a Ryanair or easyJet flight, that charge would be built into the ticket price under the new rules, rather than being added later during the booking process.
The changes form part of a wider overhaul of the EU’s air passenger rights rules, which have been under review for more than a decade and are not expected to take effect until 2027.
Travel commentator Eoghan Corry said much of the public reaction had overstated the impact of the reforms.
“There has been acres of coverage, but I don’t think it will make a huge amount of difference to anything,” Corry said.
What is changing?
At present, many airlines advertise their cheapest possible fare, with charges for cabin bags, seat selection and other extras added later in the booking process.
Ryanair, for example, currently allow passengers to bring a small personal item on board for free, but charge extra for larger cabin bags stored in overhead lockers.
Under Ryanair’s current booking system, passengers are often initially shown the lowest advertised fare before being offered paid extras such as priority boarding and cabin baggage during the booking process.
From 2027, airlines will be required to include both a personal item and a larger carry-on bag in the standard ticket price, although passengers who choose to travel without a cabin bag will still be able to opt for a reduced fare.
Corry said that low-cost airlines had become “masters” at stripping prices down to make the initial fare appear as attractive as possible.
“The big difference is in the advertising of the price. What they can’t do is advertise a price without a bag,” Corry said.
“The way airlines do their business is not being dismantled. The way the price is presented is what’s being dismantled.”
Despite the political fanfare surrounding the agreement, Corry believes passengers are unlikely to notice much difference once the rules come into force.
“What the EU wanted was no surprises, no unexpected charges,” he said.
“What will happen is instead of getting a quote for a €100 flight, you’ll get a quote for €135, and then you’ll be asked if you want to remove priority boarding and go back down to €100.”
The new rules will also preserve passengers’ existing rights to compensation for delays of more than three hours, despite lobbying from airlines to increase that threshold.
Passengers will no longer be charged for obtaining a printed boarding pass after checking in, while families travelling with children under 14 must be seated together without additional fees.
Another significant change will prevent airlines from cancelling a passenger’s return flight if they miss the outbound leg, a practice commonly known as a “no-show” clause.
Airlines push back
Airlines have reacted angrily to the agreement, arguing that forcing baggage costs into headline fares will make flights appear more expensive.
Ryanair described the reforms as “gobbledygook” and “bureaucratic bunkum”, accusing Brussels of forcing airlines to advertise higher fares.
In a statement, the airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary said the rules would require airlines to “falsely advertise higher air fares” even though more than half of Ryanair passengers choose to travel without a second cabin bag.
“At this time of international crisis, all the EU Parliament and Council can do is invent new regulations, which will now force airlines to advertise higher air fares (which include second cabin bag fees) instead of advertising our lowest air fares (which exclude second cabin bag fees) which is what more than 50% of Ryanair passengers choose on a daily basis,” O’Leary said.
“When Europe needs economic growth to improve its defence spending, the best our leaders can manage is new regulations about airline cabin bags, which deny airlines the right to advertise our lowest available air fares.”
Trade body Airlines for Europe, which represents carriers across the continent, also criticised the agreement.
It said obliging airlines to include hand luggage costs in displayed fares would “artificially inflate prices” and undermine consumer choice.