EU changes passenger rights: children must get seats next to parents for free

New air passenger rights rules will come into force in the EU next year, granting children under 14 the right to sit next to a parent or guardian on an aircraft without additional charges. Hand luggage will be included in the ticket price, and airlines can no longer automatically cancel return tickets if passengers skip the outbound flight. The Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Authority (TTJA) representative Kristina Tammaru discussed the changes on ETV's Terevisioon programme.

The European Union has adopted new air passenger rights rules that will come into force 12 months after the European Parliament and EU Council formally approve them and they are published in the EU Official Journal. The changes apply to all flights departing from the EU and flights operated by EU-registered airlines to the union.

Children get seats next to parents

One of the most significant changes concerns families: children under 14 will now be guaranteed a seat next to a parent or guardian without additional charges. Until now, this issue had not been regulated at legislative level and depended on individual airline conditions.

"Parents have complained about this. Families were seated in completely different locations on the aircraft, and this affected even very young children. Now this problem will be solved," said Kristina Tammaru, representative of the Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Authority (TTJA), on ETV's Terevisioon programme.

Hand luggage included in ticket price

Another important change concerns baggage. Currently, airline baggage rules and prices vary greatly, but under the new rules, personal baggage, whether a backpack or a handbag, must always be included in the ticket price free of charge.

"From now on, personal items, whether a backpack or a handbag, can always be brought on board for free," Tammaru explained. Airlines will still have the right to set requirements for hand luggage dimensions and weight, and they can charge for larger or additional baggage. "The initial price quote, which is what is included in the ticket price, must be the same in portals and with carriers," she added.

Compensation and notification obligations

The changes also clarify the procedure for paying compensation. Base compensation for cancelled flights or three-hour delays remains the same: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500-3,500 km and €600 for flights over 3,500 km. New deadlines are being introduced: passengers have three months to submit a claim, and airlines have 30 days to pay compensation.

According to Tammaru, the biggest problem so far has been that many passengers did not know how to exercise their rights. "A third of passengers did not know how to exercise their right in such a situation," she noted. Under the new rules, the airline must send the passenger detailed instructions for claiming compensation within four days of the incident. "Now airlines have an obligation to inform where and how compensation can be claimed," Tammaru emphasised.

Return ticket no longer cancelled automatically

The new rules also prohibit airlines from automatically cancelling a return ticket if a passenger did not use the outbound flight. "Very many airlines immediately cancel the return ticket. Under the new rules, this can no longer happen," Tammaru clarified.

"This is a fundamental change that makes passenger rights clearer and removes ambiguous interpretations," Tammaru concluded on the new rules.