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Free cabin bags in the EU: where the new passenger rights stand

Status on 1 October 2026: adopted and signed, not yet published in the Official Journal.

Nothing changes for your next flight: airlines apply their own rules. Application date: about a year after publication, which has not happened yet.

Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory, procedure 2013/0072(COD) (status: "Procedure completed, awaiting publication in the Official Journal").

What the text changes for luggage

From the European Parliament's press release of 7 July 2026:

  • Right to carry on board, without extra cost, one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack.
  • Airlines, intermediaries and search portals must display the air fare inclusive of carry-on luggage at the outset of the booking process.
  • Airlines may offer cheaper tickets for passengers who travel without hand luggage.

What the press releases do not say: they give no maximum dimensions or a weight for the free personal item. We will add it when the published text does.

Timeline

  1. : Joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee
  2. : Parliament approves the joint text (3rd reading): 646 votes to 12, 3 abstentions
  3. : Council approves (3rd reading)
  4. : Final act signed
  5. Next: publication in the Official Journal of the EU; entry into force 20 days later, then one year to prepare (timetable announced by the Parliament).

The law today: the 2014 Vueling ruling

Hand baggage is in principle a necessary item of carriage: it cannot be subject to a price supplement if it meets reasonable requirements of weight and size and complies with security rules. Checked baggage may be an optional paid extra. (Court press release, case C-487/12).

The judgment does not define what "reasonable" dimensions are; airlines still set their own sizes. That gap is what lets low-cost airlines include only a small bag and charge for the overhead one, and what the reform tries to narrow.

Meanwhile: what is free today

Almost every airline we track already includes an under-seat bag in every fare; the exceptions are Air Algérie (one cabin bag only, included) and Tunisair (no personal item mentioned). Sizes vary a lot: check your bag or compare every airline's limits.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Are cabin bags free in the EU since the 2026 vote?
No. As of 1 October 2026 the act is signed but not yet published in the Official Journal of the EU. Airlines still apply their own rules, and the overhead bag is still an extra at low-cost airlines.
What will be free?
According to the European Parliament: one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack, carried on board without extra cost. The overhead cabin bag is not made free; fares must be displayed including carry-on luggage from the start, and airlines may still sell cheaper tickets without it.
How big will the free personal item be?
The official press releases we read give no size and no weight. Figures circulate in the press; we will not repeat them until the text published in the Official Journal confirms them.
When will the new rules apply?
According to the Parliament, the regulation enters into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal, and EU countries and companies then have one year to prepare. Until publication, no exact date can be given: "late 2027" is a press estimate.
What does EU law say today?
In 2014 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled (Vueling, C-487/12) that hand baggage is in principle a necessary part of carriage and cannot carry a surcharge, provided it meets reasonable weight and size requirements and security rules. The ruling does not define "reasonable", which is why airlines still set their own sizes.

Updated . Allowances read on each airline's official website on . Airlines change their rules without notice: check your airline's site before you fly. Sources and method.