How big and heavy can hand luggage be on an airplane? Is there a fee? Airlines can determine this themselves. The EU Parliament is now calling for uniform and transparent rules.
The European Parliament has called for uniform rules for taking luggage on planes. Comprehensive requirements for the size, weight and type of hand-held and checked baggage led to more transparency for air travelers, according to a resolution that MPs approved. However, different rules and hidden costs made it considerably more difficult to compare prices, especially for hand luggage.
The starting point for the discussion was a petition from a German traveler who was angry about different regulations. In recent years, more and more airlines have started charging fees for carrying hand luggage. In some cases, only handbags or small backpacks are allowed free of charge.
Hand luggage according to the ruling “indispensable Component”
In its resolution, the EU Parliament refers to a ruling by the European Court of Justice from 2014. It states that hand luggage is considered an “indispensable part” of the carriage of passengers and that no extra costs may be charged for it if the weight and size meet “reasonable requirements are equivalent to”.
In addition, the different regulations of the respective airlines led to confusion, delays and disputes between passengers and staff, complained the MEPs. Checks on the size of hand luggage by employees at the boarding gate are often arbitrary and show “that different sizes for free baggage are unnecessary”. The MPs called for uniform and transparent prices and the same requirements for all airlines.
It’s now the EU Commission’s turn
The resolution is not legally binding. However, it has political weight, as the EU Commission is now called upon to present concrete political measures for implementation.