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Irish travellers could see a meaningful change to flight fares after the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional deal to include cabin baggage in advertised ticket prices. If approved, the rules would require airlines and booking sites to show fares that include carry-on allowance, potentially altering how low-cost carriers present their lowest prices.
What the new rules would mean for passengers
The package, negotiated over more than a decade, would guarantee that every ticket includes a free personal item sized up to 40cm x 30cm x 15cm as well as a larger piece of hand luggage such as a small suitcase or backpack. Those items would be part of the fare displayed at the start of the booking process.
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Travellers who prefer to bring only a small personal item would still be able to choose a cheaper fare by deselecting the larger cabin bag during booking. The aim is to make it easier to compare like-for-like prices across carriers and platforms.
How low-cost airlines might be affected
The changes could reshape promotional pricing for budget carriers that currently advertise fares excluding certain cabin allowances.
For example, under the proposed approach a Ryanair customer would first see a fare that includes a 10kg cabin bag. If the passenger does not want that bag, they could remove it and see a lower price before completing the purchase.
Industry reaction
Not all airlines welcomed the deal. Ryanair criticised the agreement, calling it “gobbledygook” and saying it would force carriers to display misleading prices. Chief executive Michael O’Leary added: “These latest EU261 regs are more bureaucratic bunkum from the EU Parliament and Council.
“Instead of encouraging EU airlines to advertise our lowest fares (which exclude second cabin bags), which is what over 50 per cent of our customers choose, these new rubbish regulations require airlines to falsely advertise higher air fares, making EU airlines even less competitive.”
Supporters argue the reforms will bring clearer pricing and reduce surprise charges for passengers. Alexis Vafeades, Cyprus’s Minister for Transport, Communications and Works, welcomed the agreement: “I’m proud that, after 13 years of negotiations, we reached a landmark agreement to strengthen EU air passenger rights.
“This modernised framework will deliver certainty, fairness and stronger protection for millions of European air passengers. The agreement strikes a fair balance for our airlines, helping preserve connectivity that is vital to the EU’s internal market and its citizens.”
Other protections and next steps
The wider package includes measures beyond baggage. It would require families to be seated together at no extra cost, bolster rights for passengers with reduced mobility and prohibit airlines from refusing boarding to certain travellers who missed an earlier leg of their itinerary.
- Families seated together: no additional charge.
- Improved accessibility rights: stronger protections for passengers with reduced mobility.
- Boarding rules: limits on denying boarding for missed connections in specific cases.
The agreement still needs final approval before it becomes law. If adopted, it is expected to take effect in 2027.
