The EU agrees to allow airlines to charge for hand luggage on planes.

BrusselsThe Member States of the European Union have agreed this Thursday to allow airlines to charge for carry-on luggage on an airplaneAlthough the vast majority of airlines already charged for it, EU legislation theoretically didn't allow it—despite airlines' claims that it did—and the European courts had concluded in several rulings that it was illegal. However, the regulatory reform agreed upon by the EU Transport Council would provide more legal protection so that airlines could legally charge consumers who bring "reasonable" carry-on baggage in the future.

Sources from the EU Council itself admitted to the ARA that the current legislation creates confusion and leaves it unclear whether it is legal to charge for carry-on baggage. In fact, Spain, for example, has fined Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet, Norwegian, and Volotea €179 million, and was still considering extending sanctions for this reason to other companies, such as Wizz Air.

However, the reform agreed upon this Thursday, which still needs to be approved and negotiated with the European Parliament, corrects this ambiguity and more clearly allows charging for hand luggage. Thus, while it states that "one personal item," such as a purse or backpack, should be allowed, it states that it must meet safety requirements. That is, it must be able to be placed under the front seat and, therefore, have maximum dimensions of 40x30x15 cm.

However, the regulations require airlines to clearly inform consumers of the types of baggage—dimensions and weight—that they can take in the cabin, both free and paid. The objective of this counterpoint is to ensure that consumers don't have last-minute surprises and have to bear additional costs for the benefit of the airlines.

In response to this agreement, consumer associations have already raised their voices and believe that the reform "legitimizes" charging for hand luggage, a practice that the European Court of Justice itself had declared illegal. "Consumer organizations already indicated last May that airlines should stop charging passengers for their hand luggage," the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) stated in a statement issued this Thursday.

The Spanish government, one of the few EU partners to vote against, is also opposed. "The airline lobby has achieved in Europe what it failed to achieve in Spain. The EU Council has adopted a new regulation for tickets that ends free hand luggage," said Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, on social media.

In addition to Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia also opposed it, while Austria and Estonia abstained. The text was still passed because it only required a qualified majority, which is the equivalent of 55% of the votes in favor of the 27 member states and representing at least 65% of the EU's demographic weight.

More hours of delay to receive compensation

On the other hand, the Member States also agreed to extend the time limits for a plane's delay to qualify for compensation. Thus, a flight of less than 3,500 kilometers must be delayed by four hours (previously three) for affected consumers to receive compensation of up to €300. For flights of more than 3,500 kilometers, the delay must be at least six hours to qualify for financial compensation, and the maximum amount may be €500, according to diplomatic sources.