Uniform standards regarding their size and weight are requested by the European Parliament
The adoption of uniform rules for hand luggage on airplanes regarding size and weight, in order to avoid “hidden” and “additional” charges from airlines, is requested by the European Parliament in its resolution.
“Different rules between airlines for hand luggage create hidden charges and make it more difficult to compare prices,” argue MEPs, while when passengers use different airlines or need to change their flights, “inconsistent rules” on with fees, the size and weight of carry-on bags creating “confusion, inconvenience, less comfortable travel experiences, delays and sometimes disagreements between passengers and airline staff”.
The MEPs with their resolution, which was approved by a show of hands, “encourage”, as stated, the European Commission to present concrete policy measures to incorporate the decision of the CJEU (C-487/12), according to which “the carry-on baggage (ie baggage that is not checked in) must be considered a “necessary aspect” of the carriage of passengers, provided that such baggage meets “reasonable requirements” in terms of weight and dimensions and therefore cannot be carried subject to a price increase”. The CJEU, in the same decision, “urges Member States to ensure compliance with this decision and, in the meantime, to strive for transparency in the disclosure of any fees charged for hand luggage, whenever information is provided on the price and flight schedule, in order to strengthen consumer protection”.
In addition, with the resolution, the MEPs call on the European Commission to include in the revision of the specific regulation, “proposals to address issues that bring hidden costs, such as the allocation of seats or the complexity of the offers of airlines in relation to their policy on luggage, with the aim of regulating the composition of the final price”.
The resolution is not binding and no EU body is required to undertake a relevant institutional initiative. However, the European Commission has announced that it has already launched a consultation on the revision of the air services regulation, as part of its action on “Strategy for sustainable and smart mobility – European transport on track for the future”, which includes actions to the review of the regulation on the common rules for the operation of air lines in the EU (regulation 1008/2008), as well as the review of the regulatory framework for passenger rights and the code of conduct for electronic seat reservation systems.
“Abusive or unfair practice” inconsistent policies between airlines
The MEPs acknowledge that “inconsistent policies regarding hand baggage allowances between different airlines could be considered abusive or unfair practice” as they “result in difficulties for travelers who frequently travel with different airlines or connect with different air carriers”, and “not all air carriers comply with the CJEU decision (C-487/12)”.
They also note that rules on the size of carry-on bags, as well as checked bags and fees charged to passengers, create “hidden costs” when a passenger uses the services of different airlines or needs to change airlines for unforeseen or practical reasons. reasons, and consider that these “hidden and additional costs” limit the ability to compare airline offers, which “consequently limits the passenger’s ability to make an informed choice about the best deal”.
They also remind that the “freedom of pricing” of air carriers regarding air fares and fees, which is recognized in article 22 of Regulation (EC) no. 1008/2008, does not include the pricing of hand luggage, but they consider that harmonization at EU level of the requirements regarding the size, weight and type of hand luggage and checked baggage for all airlines operating in the European Union “would strengthen transparency and consumer protection for all air passengers”.
Arguing in favor of common rules and standards, they say that even when passengers travel with small pets in the cabin as hand luggage, the dimensions allowed for their carry-on bags vary slightly between different airlines, causing inconvenience, while, focusing on the practice observed at airports, they emphasize that “on-the-spot checks of the dimensions of hand luggage carried out by airline employees, who sometimes apply the rules in a discretionary and arbitrary manner, demonstrate that the differences in the dimensions allowed are unnecessary”.
