The European Parliament adopted its mandate on Tuesday to negotiate with the Member States and the European Commission to review the regulations on passenger rights, which defends that air travelers in the EU can.
Europarliamentarians want passengers to have the right to embark “a personal object such as a bag, backpack or laptop up to 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters, and a small piece of hand luggage of up to 100 centimeters and 7 kilos, without additional cost,” the Parliament said in a statement.
“The agreed commitments protect all passengers, with special attention to people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and introduce concrete measures such as the clear definition of free hand luggage,” said the head of Parliament, the Italian social democrat Matteo Ricci.
The Eurocamara also defends that children under 12 can sit with their relatives on the plane without having to pay extra, and also that people with reduced mobility do not have to assume the cost of their companion.
The twenty -seven had agreed to leave the door open to collection by the suitcase, in an agreement that was reached despite the vote against Spain, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia and with the abstention of Austria and Estonia.
The capitals supported a change in the regulations that force companies to allow travelers to embark freely with a personal bulge, but also facilitates that they charge for the hand luggage of a “reasonable” size that passengers rise in the cabin.
The position of the countries, however, recognizes that there is confusion, as shown that Spain has fined 179 million euros to Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Norwegian and Volotea for that and other concepts, although the sanction is appealed.
The Airlines Association in Europe had pressed the Parliament to align with the Member States, arguing that the cost would have to be distributed among all the passengers of the flight.
“We have dignified this Parliament, demonstrating that it is the citizens who vote for us and not the Business Administration Councils such as Ryanair,” said the Ecologist Eurodiput Vincent Marzá (Compromís), who celebrated that he progresses “in concrete rights for passengers.”
Delay compensation
Another of the issues to negotiate are the conditions in which travelers have the right to compensation if their flight is delayed, which is currently established in three hours.
The Member States agreed on the Council that compensation of 300 euros can be requested when the planes are delayed 4 hours if the route of a flight is 3,500 kilometers, and 500 euros on flights that exceed that distance and take 6 hours.
The review starts from a proposal of the European Commission of 2013 and the European Parliament set its position already in 2014, defending that the 3 hours of delay are maintained that entitle compensation for the intra -community routes of up to 3,500 kilometers as a general rule, exceptions for flights of less than 1,500 kilometers (2 hours) and for those who exceed that distance (4 hours).
However, and as the current legislative review groups five regulations, the position of the Parliament will have to be updated with the new commitments added to the hemicycle negotiation mandate, parliamentary sources explained to Efe.
In the adjustments now added to the position of the Eurocamara, the deputies added to clarify the responsibility of the intermediaries in the delays if the passenger demands compensation for delay or other circumstances, defending that the reimbursement process does not exceed 14 days.
They also want a “common form” to be introduced for compensation and reimbursement requests or that “alternative automatic communication channels” are activated in the 48 hours following the interruption.
In addition, they ask that it be specified what are considered “extraordinary circumstances” that would allow airlines to avoid paying those compensation, with a list with concepts such as natural disasters, wars, weather conditions or unforeseen labor conflicts (excluding strikes from the airline staff).
“Every delay, cancellation or confusion at the boarding door reminds us why passengers need more rights. Better protection also means clear and fair norms for the sector. The European Parliament has made real advances, but there is still much to do,” said German negotiator and Eurodiputing the European Popular Party Andrey Novakov.
Once the Plenary of the European Parliament supports the position of the Transportation Commission, the Eurocamara, the EU Council and the European Commission may begin to negotiate the final version of the legislative review.
