EU Lawmakers Vote to Scrap Carry-on Luggage Charges

Airlines operating in the EU may soon be required to scrap charges for hand luggage and standardize rules on carry-on size and weight after EU lawmakers adopted on Wednesday a resolution proposed by the Petitions Committee last month.

The resolution calls on airlines to abide by a 2014 EU Court of Justice decision which rules that as long as hand luggage is of “reasonable” size and weight, it is a “necessary aspect” of air travel and passengers should not be charged extra.

“You cannot commoditize a right, nor have a business model that inflates profits by trampling on consumer rights,” said MEP Jordi Cañas, who initiated the action. “Low-cost companies are doing business with the price of tickets hiding until the end of the purchase the supplement for carrying cabin luggage,” he added.

The resolution goes on to note that the varying policies and restrictions applied by airlines regarding size and weight of hand luggage is creating confusion, inconvenience, delays and disputes between passengers and airline staff. MEPs also argued airline employees conducting on-the-spot checks for carry-on dimensions before boarding “sometimes apply the rules in a discretional and arbitrary manner”.

Additionally, divergent policies can also mean hidden costs especially in cases a passenger travels using different airlines.

“A one-size-fits-all policy is likely to reduce the flexibility that passengers currently enjoy and impact the cost and convenience of air travel. It is also impractical, as the size and number of bags that fit securely onboard depends on the aircraft model and how it is configured,” said industry group A4E (Airlines for Europe) in a statement.

The resolution will now require the approval of the Commission, which said the issue was “currently being examined” and of EU member states.

The goal of the resolution is to ensure harmonization of the requirements on the size, weight and carry-on type and checked-in luggage for all airlines operating in the EU.

Several low-cost carriers have expressed their disagreement with the news.