632 MEPs out of 656 voted to require two free cabin bags on all European flights. It is a major blow for low-cost airlines, which can earn up to 20% of their revenue from baggage charges. Yet with airline lobbying and a blockage in the Council, your next Ryanair booking still shows a surcharge. The good news is that this should change before long.
You may have missed it, but the European Parliament overwhelmingly backed a measure a few months ago to make two cabin bags free (a small personal item plus a cabin case of up to 7 kg) on every flight within Europe. Low-cost carriers-where baggage fees can account for as much as 20% of takings-are firmly against it. With lobbying in full force, the EU Council has stalled the talks. In the meantime, airlines have only offered a voluntary minimum (a small bag of 40 × 30 × 15 cm), while nothing has shifted for standard cabin suitcases. Not yet. Because the European rules could still come into force by 2028.
On 21 January 2026, Parliament set out its stance on the revision of the regulation that has governed air passenger rights since 2004: 632 in favour, 15 against, and 9 abstentions. Under the proposal, each passenger would be able to take two cabin bags on board free of charge: one personal item (backpack, small shoulder bag) of at least 40 × 30 × 15 cm to fit under the seat, plus a cabin suitcase whose total dimensions do not exceed 100 cm, with a maximum weight of 7 kg.
On paper, that is transformative for travellers. In reality, open the Ryanair app today and try to bring a wheeled cabin case without paying. You cannot-unless you pay around €6 to €20 for the Priority option. With EasyJet, it is typically €20 to €50 depending on the flight. The reason is simple: a Parliament vote does not, on its own, create EU law. The EU Council, representing the 27 Member States, still has to approve the text.
20% of revenue at stake
To see why airlines are digging in, you only need to look at their accounts. Charges for baggage, seat selection and priority boarding can make up as much as 20% of turnover for low-cost airlines. It is also what makes it possible to advertise a Paris–Barcelona fare at €19.99 (and then add a €35 baggage supplement alongside it).
The problem is that the proposed EU law calls into question the entire business model of these airlines. Unsurprisingly, the lobby effort has been organised accordingly. Airlines for Europe (A4E), which brings together 17 groups representing more than 70% of European traffic (Ryanair, EasyJet, Air France-KLM, Wizz Air), is leading the push at Council level. EasyJet’s chief executive described the text as “terrible for the consumer”, arguing that two free cabin bags would slow boarding and cause delays. Ryanair, for its part, argues for choice: passengers who travel light should not end up subsidising those who bring a suitcase.
As arguments go, that is not completely baseless. An extra 7 kg per passenger also means more fuel burn, and therefore higher operating costs. But that line of reasoning overlooks a key point: today’s system often relies on opaque pricing that repeatedly catches travellers out. According to the European Consumer Centre, almost 40% of disputes with low-cost airlines relate to unexpected baggage fees.
What has already changed (and what has not)
It would be unfair to claim nothing has moved. Under political pressure and scrutiny from competition authorities (Spain had imposed €179 million in fines on five airlines for abusive charging practices, before the courts suspended the decision), A4E members have, since summer 2025, committed to guaranteeing a free personal item of at least 40 × 30 × 15 cm on all their flights.
In practical terms, in 2026, Ryanair allows one bag of 40 × 30 × 20 cm free of charge (expanded by 5 cm in September 2025). EasyJet provides the most generous free small-bag allowance among low-cost carriers at 45 × 36 × 20 cm. Air France (which is not a low-cost airline) includes a 55 × 35 × 25 cm cabin bag in all fares, including its cheapest. For Transavia (an Air France subsidiary), a cabin bag is included starting from the Smart fare.
However, for the classic wheeled cases-what most travellers think of as a “cabin bag”-you still have to pay extra with low-cost airlines.
The Cypriot Presidency of the Council is trying to unblock negotiations before June 2026. In the best-case scenario, there would be a political agreement by summer, with implementation in 2027 or 2028. The more realistic scenario is another stalemate, similar to the one that has dragged on since 2013, when this passenger-rights reform was first launched.
France, Germany and Spain back the text. Other states, more reliant on low-cost routes for connectivity, are wary of disrupting a model that has made air travel accessible to far more people.
What we think
Parliament’s vote is a strong political signal, but as long as the Council blocks, low-cost airlines will keep listing baggage surcharges. The real battle will be decided in the months ahead.
On the substance, both sides have arguments that hold up. Low-cost airlines have indeed enabled millions of Europeans to travel cheaply through unbundled pricing. But that same model has also produced abuses that have harmed millions of consumers. There is undoubtedly a workable compromise between requiring a genuinely free cabin bag of a reasonable size, and allowing airlines to charge for services that are truly optional. One can imagine, for instance, higher charges for seat selection, priority access, or even checked baggage.
In any case, the status quo is no longer sustainable for the European Council, especially given that the text was approved by almost the entire Parliament-something rare considering the usual political divides. The question now is whether Member States will have the resolve to follow through, or whether they will once again allow lobbying to set the timetable.
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