EU cracks down on airlines adding 'rip-off' charges for cabin bags - and reveals start date for new rules

New EU rules that mean airlines can no longer charge extra for cabin bags on top of the price of a standard flight ticket will come into force in October 2027, European Parliament officials have revealed. Currently, many airlines allow passengers to bring one free personal carry-on item, such as a handbag or small rucksack - with any additional cabin and checked luggage then paid for on top of the air fare. However, the new rules announced by the EU mean carriers must now also include a cabin bag in the ticket price, instead of charging extra for it later on in the booking process.The start date comes just two weeks after the UK government announced it will look to force airlines to scrap charges on booking amendment fees, and also stop carriers charging parents to sit next to their children on planes. Travellers who want to fly without baggage will be able to opt out at a later stage in order to pay a lower fare - meaning the bags aren't included for free but that airlines have to be more transparent earlier in the transaction on costs. The European Parliament said in June: 'The new rules now include the right to carry on board, without additional fee, one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack. New rules announced by the EU mean carriers must include a cabin bag as well as the free carry-on item in the ticket price - with passengers able to opt-out of fees later if they want to travel light'On the insistence of MEPs, price transparency and the comparability of air tickets was increased by obliging airlines, intermediaries and search portals to always display the air fare inclusive of carry-on luggage at the outset of the booking process. 'Negotiators agreed that airlines may offer cheaper tickets for passengers who choose voluntarily to travel without hand luggage.' The regulation has now been officially signed off and was published in the EU's Official Journal earlier this month. It reads: 'Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, operating air carriers shall permit passengers to carry a personal item into the cabin and at no extra cost. 'Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, operating air carriers shall, subject to the capacity of the aircraft cabin, permit passengers to carry a piece of hand baggage into the cabin.'Whenever air fares are offered or published, air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage shall be displayed by default before the start of any booking process.' The changes are expected to be in place from October 23, 2027, European Parliament has saidThe changes are expected to be in place from October 23, 2027. The overhead cabin bag will be limited to 100cm in combined dimensions and a maximum weight of 7kg, Connexion France reports. It is also subject to availability and space in the cabin.However, British travellers may find not all of their journey is covered due to the UK no longer being in the EU. The rules apply when the trip is between two EU airports, leaving the bloc or operated by an EU-based airline. This means carriers such as easyJet would not necessarily have the same rules. The airline has reportedly confirmed the regulations will only apply if travelling from an EU airport to the UK, not from the UK to an EU airport. Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder at AirAdvisor, previously told the Daily Mail: 'It's worth clearing up a common misunderstanding first, because the new rules are often being described as cabin baggage charges being removed or scrapped, and that isn't quite what is happening. However, there might be a catch - UK-based travellers may find not all of their journey is covered because we're no longer in the EU'From the point the rules take effect, expected in the second half of 2027, every passenger on a flight covered by the regulation will have the right to bring one personal item on board, such as a handbag, laptop bag or small backpack, at no additional charge. 'On top of that, airlines, booking sites and comparison engines will have to show fares that include a hand baggage allowance from the very start of the booking process, so passengers can compare the true cost of a trip across different airlines.'How does this differ from before?Anton explains: 'Today, the personal item and the cabin bag are often unbundled from the headline fare. 'You see a low advertised price, and then the cost of bringing a bag is added later in the booking flow, or at the gate if you get it wrong. 'That has made it genuinely difficult for passengers to compare one airline against another, because the advertised fares do not measure the same thing. 'The change here is twofold: the free personal item becomes a guaranteed right rather than something that varies by airline, and the price you first see has to reflect the cost of carrying hand luggage.'