If you fly low-cost from Budapest, the hand luggage fee is often a large part of the fare today. That may change: in June 2026 the European Parliament and the member states reached a provisional agreement on new air passenger rights, the first major revision since 2004. Euronews summed up the package on 1 October.
What a standard ticket will include
- One small personal item, such as a handbag or a backpack, which fits under the seat in front.
- One larger cabin bag, up to 7 kg and up to 100 cm in combined dimensions (length + width + height).
Both come with the fare, without an extra charge. The Parliament says this may end some of the surcharges airlines levy for cabin baggage today. Airlines will still be able to offer a cheaper fare to those who travel without hand luggage; how that pricing will work is not yet clear.
From when
The rules still have to complete the remaining steps of the EU legislative process. They are expected to take effect from late 2027 at the earliest, with October 2027 currently thought to be the earliest possible start. Until then today's terms apply: we keep each airline's current hand and checked baggage rules on our baggage page.
Who it does not cover
British passengers, since Brexit: easyJet says passengers on flights departing from the UK will not get the free item, and the new rule applies to them "only on return flights from EU countries". That holds for every UK-based airline, British Airways and Jet2 included, though easyJet says the British carriers are reviewing their baggage rules ahead of the start.
Hand luggage is one part of the package: the new rules also cover delays, cancellations and compensation. We will write about those when the final text is out.
Source: Euronews