New EU flight rules promise fewer fees and more rights for Czech travelers

A sweeping legislative package to strengthen air passenger rights, heavily shaped by Czech lawmakers, has passed the European Parliament vote.

The reforms target controversial airline practices like mandatory mobile apps, hidden check-in fees, and charging families extra to sit together.

The updated regulations, which passed with an overwhelming majority of 646 votes to 12, represent the first major overhaul of EU aviation passenger rules since 2004.

"The new rules bring many improvements for passengers, from free family seating to greater price transparency to a ban on forcing passengers to use airline apps just to get a boarding pass," Czech MEP Markéta Gregorová told Seznam Zprávy.

Gregorová noted that while the changes are a major win for consumer transparency, it was a missed opportunity that the EU Council refused to increase the base compensation amounts for delays.

Under the new framework, airlines operating within the EU will be legally required to seat adults accompanying children under 14 years of age in adjacent seats at no extra charge.

The same rule applies to passengers accompanying individuals with disabilities, including the right to compensation if they miss a flight due to inadequate assistance from airport staff.

The approved rules also include the right to take one personal item on board free of charge, such as a small bag or backpack. 

Airlines, travel agencies, and flight search engines must display ticket prices including hand luggage from the beginning of the booking process. Carriers may still offer cheaper fares for passengers traveling without hand luggage.

Airlines will also be prohibited from requiring passengers to create an account or download an app to access boarding passes or information about compensation claims.

Passengers who prefer to use a self-printed physical boarding pass instead of a digital one cannot be penalized under the new law.

In addition, carriers can no longer charge fees for correcting typos in names on a ticket; passengers holding round-trip tickets will be able to use their return flight even if they did not take the outbound leg, without facing additional charges.

The standard financial compensation brackets for disruptions remain unchanged, ranging from EUR 250 for short flights up to EUR 600 for long-haul routes.

However, the administrative process will become significantly faster, as confirmed on the European Parliament website.

Re-routed passengers must receive clear instructions on how to apply for compensation within four days of completing their journey.  Passengers will have nine months to file compensation claims under the new system.

Passengers opting for a refund over re-routing will now receive their compensation automatically. Airlines will have a strict 30-day window to either pay out claims or provide legal justification for a denial based on extraordinary circumstances.

The rules will officially enter into force 20 days after their publication in the EU Official Journal. EU member states, including the Czech Republic, will then have exactly one year to fully implement the changes into national law.

Ryanair has argued that the EU's policies will make European airlines less competitive.

Source: Council of the EU