Fact check: The EU hasn’t banned carry-on luggage fees (yet)

Misleading claims that the European Union has moved to prohibit airlines from charging passengers to carry on hand luggage have made headlines worldwide, triggering widespread misinformation on social media.

Euroverify identified several reputable media outlets making these claims, which have then been amplified in several languages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

But the 27-country bloc has not outlawed cabin bag fees. It is an option on the table, but there are plenty of obstacles before the proposal could become law.

Rule proposed by parliament, but not yet confirmed

On 24 June, the European Parliament’s transport committee voted in favour of a proposal to allow air passengers to travel with two items of carry-on luggage at no extra cost.

If approved, this would oblige airlines to let passengers travel with one personal item – such as a handbag — as well as a bigger carry-on bag weighing up to 7 kg, and measuring up to 100 cm in combined width, length and height, free of charge.

The 100 cm dimension is slightly smaller than the current maximum cabin bag dimensions permitted by most airlines.

The proposal is part of an overhaul of a 2004 EU bill on passenger rights, which has been stalled for years. Poland, which presided over the Council of the EU for the first six months of this year, had made it a priority to make progress on the reform.

Also on the table are changes to EU rules triggering mandatory compensation for flight delays.

But the 24 July vote does not change anything. It simply means that the parliament’s transport committee wants to see cabin bag fees scrapped.

If the European Parliament’s plenary approves, the parliament will push for this change in negotiations with the European Commission and the Council of the EU, which represents EU governments.

Only when these negotiations — known as interinstitutional negotiations — have concluded with a compromise can any changes come into law.

The compromise text must then be submitted to a vote by both the European Parliament and the Council before it can become law.

EU governments mostly oppose change

The ban on cabin bag fees is likely to be a point of contention between the parliament and EU governments represented by the Council. 

In a joint negotiating position adopted in early June, the EU’s transport ministers do not call for the ban, despite a handful of countries, notably Spain, supporting it.

Instead, they say that passengers should be allowed to take personal items “essential for the duration of the journey” free of charge, such as travel documents, medicines, personal devices, books and “food and beverage appropriate to the duration of the flight”.

Last year, Spain handed out €179 million in fines to low-cost airlines Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea for “abusive practices” including extra charges for hand luggage, forcing the companies to stop those practices.

Ryanair and Norwegian Air appealed, and a Spanish court temporarily halted the fines last Thursday while the legal challenge plays out.

Airlines say move would limit consumer choice

The position of EU transport ministers reflects that of airlines and their powerful lobby groups.

Lobby group Airlines for Europe (A4E) has gone as far as to “condemn” the parliament’s position, saying it would “remove consumer choice and impose a mandatory trolley cabin bag on all passengers.”

Citing a Spanish airline association, A4E claims that over 50 million passengers in Spain alone didn’t need an additional piece of cabin baggage last year and had “the choice not to have this included as part of their airfare”.

There are also fears that low-cost carriers could hike ticket prices to compensate for lost revenue from add-on fees.

Ryanair’s financial results for the year up to March 2025 reveal that their ancillary revenues — meaning fees for add-ons including hand baggage — accounted for a third of their total revenues (€4.7 billion out of a total €13.95 billion).