July 13, 2026, 11:29July 13, 2026, 11:29
What’s new?
New air passenger rights are expected to apply in the European Union from mid-2027. The ministers of the EU countries have approved the change, which, among other things, will give families and people with disabilities new rights and make it easier for everyone to get compensation if a flight is delayed or canceled. However, some adjustments can also come at the expense of consumers.
There are new rights and obligations for passengers when traveling by air.Image: keystone
In the future, airlines will have to inform their guests quickly if there are problems, pay out compensation within a deadline and will no longer be allowed to charge some extra fees.
What does it look like for Switzerland?
The revised regulation is part of the existing air transport agreement between Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland will therefore have to adopt the changes.
Formally, the European Commission must inform the federal government about the change within the framework of the corresponding joint committee. Switzerland should then adopt and apply the rules.
What will apply to delays in the future?
The European Parliament and states had argued for a long time, particularly about the rules for delays. The EU states originally wanted passengers to only receive compensation for delays of four hours or more and to receive less money than before.
The conditions now remain essentially the same: travelers are entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by at least three hours.
Graded by distance, they are:
- 250 euros (up to 1,500 kilometers away)
- 400 euros (up to 3,500 kilometers away)
- 600 euros (if the distance is more than 3500 kilometers, if the flight does not only take place within the EU)
These thresholds also apply if the flight has been canceled entirely, as long as this happened less than 14 days before departure. The prerequisite is always that the airline is to blame for the delay or cancellation.
According to the new rules, airlines are not to blame for incidents involving rowdy passengers, weather conditions, natural disasters or strikes by ground handling service providers. The airline must prove that the circumstances directly caused the disruption.
What’s new: The airline must inform passengers in writing within 96 hours of the end of the trip what their rights are and how they can assert them. Travelers have nine months to assert their claims. The airline must then pay out within 30 calendar days or inform the traveler why it will not pay compensation in this case.
So far, only a fraction of those affected have made such a claim. One goal of the reform is to make the application process easier.
What other new rules are there for airline providers?
The following will be introduced, among other things:
- When searching: In future, flight providers will have to display the price with hand luggage as standard. This should make it easier to compare prices. Airlines can still offer cheaper tickets for passengers who voluntarily forgo a large backpack on board.
- In case of fees: Children under 14 years of age are allowed to sit next to their parents on the plane without having to pay any money for the seat reservation. This also applies to pregnant women and people with mobility restrictions and their companions. Airlines must correct misspellings in names on tickets free of charge and print a boarding pass for checked-in guests at no additional charge.
- In the event of disruptions: In the future, it must be made clearer what rights passengers have in the event of disruptions. After two hours of waiting, these are refreshments, after three hours a meal, then every five hours a meal (a maximum of three meals per day). They also have the right to internet access and at least two telephone calls. If overnight stays are necessary, passengers should be accommodated in a hotel free of charge and transported from the airport to their accommodation and back free of charge. If the airline does not provide support, passengers can find appropriate solutions themselves and apply for a refund later.
- For alternative transport: In the event of problems, passengers in many cases have the right to be transported differently. This can also happen to a different airport near the destination, via a different route, with a different airline or even by train, for example. However, the travel conditions must be comparable – for example, passengers who booked a direct flight must not be forced to take several connecting flights. The airline must offer them such an alternative within three hours, otherwise passengers can organize how they get to their destination themselves. The airline must refund a maximum of four times the original price. So far, the amount has not been capped – so the reform could mean a worsening for particularly cheap original tickets and expensive tickets on the day itself.
- In the case of a worse class: Anyone who has to travel in a worse flight class (“downgrade”) should automatically have part of the money paid refunded within 14 days. The amount depends on the individual flight price and the distance.
- In the case of “no-show”: If you book a return flight together but do not take the outward flight or parts of it (“no-show”), you can still take the return flight. There is also no extra charge for this. This is relevant because in practice it can sometimes be cheaper to book flights together, and passengers therefore deliberately do not take part of them – or unintentionally miss a flight without any ulterior motive. According to the Council, the new rules will then apply to all flights that take off from an airport within the EU. For flights that land in the EU, they only apply if the airline is based in the EU. In the future, there will be a voluntary EU seal for passenger rights with which airlines can show that EU regulations apply to them.
Separately, representatives of the European Parliament and member states agreed in June on changes to the enforcement of travel rights. They still have to be formally confirmed by the Council and Parliament and, according to the Council, will then come into effect at the same time as the air passenger rights reform that has now been decided.
What it provides for air travel, among other things:
- A uniform form will be introduced that passengers can use to submit requests for compensation or reimbursement. However, companies can still use their own forms or apps.
- In the future, it should be clear: If a flight is canceled, passengers will receive a full refund. According to the Council of the European Union, a placement fee may not be retained either. This includes online platforms, but also travel agencies. Local travel agencies are exempt from this if they have clearly informed passengers about this regulation at the beginning of the booking process.
(dab/sda/awp/dpa)