Flying home from an EU airport could get a lot easier from late 2027, but the same won't be true heading out of Britain. EasyJet has confirmed that under the EU's incoming air passenger rights rules, the guaranteed free hand luggage allowance will apply only on return flights from EU countries — not on journeys departing the UK. British Airways and Jet2 are in the same position, since the rules cover EU-based carriers and EU departures rather than British ones.
The change stems from a provisional deal struck in June between European Parliament and Council negotiators — the first overhaul of EU air passenger rights since 2004. Once the new rules take effect, expected no earlier than October 2027, anyone buying a standard ticket on an EU flight will be entitled to two bags at no extra cost: one small personal item that fits under the seat in front, plus a proper cabin bag weighing up to 7kg with combined dimensions of 100cm.
For anyone who has flown with a budget carrier in recent years, that second item is the headline. Cabin bags that go in the overhead locker have become a paid extra on most low-cost fares, and the guarantee should end the grey area where airlines charged for anything bigger than a backpack. There's a wrinkle, though: MEPs also agreed that airlines may offer cheaper fares for passengers who travel with no hand luggage at all. How that pricing will actually work hasn't been spelled out, so the practical savings — and whether the 'free' bag gets quietly folded into higher base fares — remain to be seen.
EasyJet told consumer group Which? that it, along with the rest of the UK airline industry, is reviewing its policies ahead of the changes. In practice, this means a UK traveller on a return trip to, say, Barcelona or Amsterdam could find themselves with a generous free allowance on the leg home and a stingier one on the way out, depending on how each carrier structures its fares.
Why it matters: if you fly with hand luggage only — which most short-haul holidaymakers do — the fine print just got more important. Expect asymmetrical rules on round trips involving the UK for the foreseeable future, and watch how 'no-bag' fares appear at booking. For travellers entirely within the EU, the deal promises a return to something closer to the old standard: one bag overhead, one under the seat, no surcharge. Credit: The Independent Travel.
