The European Parliament adopted the resolution on standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage.
Airlines around the world have varying policies and restrictions regarding the size and weight of hand luggage that passengers can bring on board, which often leads to confusion, inconvenience, less comfortable travel experiences, delays and sometimes disputes between passengers and airline staff. Differences in airline rules on the size of carry-on and checked-in luggage and the 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.
Parliament considered that EU-wide harmonisation of the requirements on the size, weight and type of carry-on and check-in luggage for all airlines operating in the European Union would enhance transparency and consumer protection for all air travellers. They also noted that when travelling with small pets in the cabin as carry-on baggage, the permitted dimensions of travel bags or carriers also vary slightly between different airlines, which causes similar inconveniences.
Parliament stressed that that when reviewing the current EU legislation on air services (Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008), the Commission should fully implement a ruling by the Court of Justice (case C-487/12) of the EU that hand baggage must be considered as constituting a ‘necessary aspect’ of the carriage of passengers on condition that such baggage meets ‘reasonable requirements’ in terms of its weight and dimensions, and that its carriage cannot, therefore, be made subject to a price supplement. Member States are urged, therefore, to ensure that this ruling is respected, and, in the meantime, to strive for transparency with regard to the disclosure of any fees charged for carry-on luggage, whenever a flight’s price and schedule information is provided, in order to strengthen consumer protection.
Lastly, the Commission is called on to include in its review of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 proposals to address issues that give rise to hidden costs, such as the allocation of seats or the complexity of airline offers in relation to their luggage policy, with the aim of regulating the composition of the final price.