European Parliament calls for uniform luggage fees and sizing in airlines
The European Parliament announced on Wednesday that MEPs, in a resolution on uniform standards for airline carry-on luggage, argue that consistent EU rules on sizing and pricing are necessary, as was decided by the European Court of Justice in 2014.
The resolution, adopted with a show of hands, highlighted citizens’ concerns about the inconvenience and discomfort caused by inconsistent rules on airline carry-on luggage. EU legislation on air passenger rights should be revised to offer a solution, said the resolution.
According to MEPs, the different rules each company has for hand luggage often result in additional charges for passengers and make it difficult to compare prices. Also, when passengers use different airlines or have to change their travel plans, conflicting rules create confusion.
The MEPs emphasize that when revising its current European legislation on air services, the Commission should fully implement the relevant decision of the European Court of Justice, from 2014. Specifically, the Court found that airlines should not charge extra for carry-on bags “provided they meet reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions and comply with applicable security requirements.”
At the same time, MEPs argue that the new legislation should also address other hidden costs, such as fees related to the selection of seats.
