EU bans airlines from charging for carry-on bags

Carry-on baggage will be complimentary on all EU flights from 2027, meaning passengers will no longer be slugged for bringing an extra item on board.

The new EU standard will consider both a personal item and a wheeled cabin bag as the standard for all base fares.

The change ends more than a decade of separate carry-on charges levied by budget carriers including Ryanair and easyJet.

Personal items up to 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and a wheeled bag with maximum combined dimensions of 100cm and a 7kg weight limit will both be included as standard.

Travellers who fly without additional baggage will qualify for a discount — which could make discounted bag-free fares into the new de facto entry point

The benefits go beyond the overhead locker:

• spelling errors and name changes on tickets will no longer attract fees
• passengers on return itineraries won't be penalised for missing an outbound leg
• Families can expect to be seated together without being charged extra

In addition, travellers also won't need to download a mobile app just to get a boarding pass, which is a condition Ryanair introduced late last year.

The European Parliament voted this week to introduce the new requirements, capping 13 years of negotiations between the Parliament and EU member states.