The European Union is creating a new landscape for air travel, substantially changing the rules governing the rights of millions of passengers in cases of delays, cancellations and problems during a journey.

From compensation of up to €600 and refunds within seven days, to missed connections, hotel accommodation, carry-on baggage and even mistakes in the name on a ticket, the new Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 seeks to establish clearer limits on airlines’ obligations and strengthen the traveler’s position in the event of a flight disruption.

The changes affect almost every stage of a journey that does not proceed according to the original plan. Specific deadlines are established for compensation and refunds, new obligations are introduced for food, accommodation and lengthy waiting periods inside the aircraft, while, under certain conditions, passengers will even be able to book alternative transportation themselves and ask the airline to cover the cost.

This is one of the most significant overhauls of the European framework for the protection of air passengers, with the new regulation applying from October 23, 2027.

The 25 most important changes to air travel

1. Compensation after a three-hour delay

Passengers will expressly have the right to compensation when they arrive at their final destination more than three hours late.

2. Compensation ranging from €250 to €600

The amounts are set at €250 for journeys of up to 1,500 km, €400 for intra-EU journeys of more than 1,500 km and other journeys of 1,500–3,500 km, and €600 for all other longer routes.

3. After five hours of delay, you can ask for your money back

If the departure delay reaches five hours, the airline must offer the passenger the option of a refund.

4. Refund within seven days

When the traveler chooses a refund instead of continuing the journey, it must be made automatically within seven calendar days. The amount includes the full ticket price and, where applicable, intermediary fees.

5. No one can force you to take a voucher

The airline may offer a voucher instead of cash, but the passenger’s explicit consent is required. The voucher may not appear as the default option or make the choice of a refund more difficult.

6. An unused voucher can also be converted back into cash

The voucher normally has a maximum validity of 12 months, with the possibility of one agreed extension. If it expires without having been used in full, the remaining balance must automatically be refunded to the passenger, no later than seven days later.

7. Three hours for the airline to find you alternative transportation

If, following a disruption, the passenger chooses to continue the journey but the airline does not offer transportation within three hours by another flight or another means under comparable conditions, the traveler may take action independently.

8. You can book another flight yourself

After the above time limit has passed, the passenger may arrange alternative transportation independently, informing the airline. The expenses must be necessary, reasonable and appropriate.

The airline must reimburse them within 14 days, up to an amount not exceeding 400% of the full ticket price and the relevant intermediary fees.

9. New rule for those who are “stuck” inside the aircraft

In tarmac delays, the airline must, among other things, ensure adequate heating or cooling of the cabin, access to toilets and, as a rule, free drinking water.

10. After two hours, passengers must be given the option to disembark

If a tarmac delay reaches two hours at an airport in a member state, the aircraft must move to a gate or another suitable location where passengers will be allowed to disembark, subject to the relevant safety restrictions.

11. Food and drink every two hours

The rules on passenger care become much more specific: free light refreshments and drinks are provided for every two hours of waiting, a meal after three hours and subsequently every five hours, with a maximum of three meals per day.

12. Free internet and two phone calls

The assistance that the airline is required to provide explicitly includes access to the internet and two telephone calls.

13. Hotel accommodation when an overnight stay is required

If, because of the disruption, the passenger has to spend one or more nights waiting for their flight or alternative transportation, the airline must provide free hotel accommodation and transportation to and from the airport.

14. Three-night cap in extraordinary circumstances

If the disruption results from extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided, the airline may limit hotel coverage to three nights.

However, the limit must not be applied in the same way to certain vulnerable categories, such as people with disabilities or reduced mobility, unaccompanied minors, infants, pregnant women and, under certain conditions, people requiring special medical assistance.

15. A personal item in the cabin is free

It is established that passengers may carry one personal item without an additional charge. A personal item is defined as baggage with maximum dimensions of 40×30×15 centimeters or an item that fits under the seat in front.

16. Attention: a wheeled carry-on is not necessarily free

The regulation does not abolish fares that do not include a wheeled carry-on bag. However, it imposes greater transparency: before the booking process begins, the fare that includes a carry-on bag must be displayed by default, so that consumers can compare the actual cost.

And if the airline is forced, for example because of capacity constraints or an aircraft change, to place an eligible carry-on bag in the hold, it may not impose an additional charge.

17. Free correction of a name error

A simple spelling mistake in a name should no longer turn into an expensive “penalty.” If the request is made up to 48 hours before departure, the carrier must correct spelling errors free of charge at least once or carry out a prescribed administrative update of the name.

This does not, however, constitute the option of changing the person traveling or transferring the ticket to a third party.

18. Compensation even for a “downgrade” in seating class

If the airline moves the traveler to a higher class, it cannot ask for additional money. If, on the other hand, it places the traveler in a lower class than the one they paid for, an automatic refund must be provided within 14 days.

The amount is at least 30% of the flight price for routes of up to 1,500 km, 50% for most intermediate categories and 75% for longer flights.

19. Nine months to request compensation — 30 days for a response

Passengers have nine months from the departure date shown on their ticket to submit a compensation claim.

The airline must immediately acknowledge receipt and, within 30 calendar days, either make the payment or explain why compensation is not being paid.

20. New complaints procedure — And a deadline for the airline to respond

Airlines and intermediaries are required to have a complaints-handling mechanism. Passengers may submit a complaint within 12 months of the flight or the date on which it was scheduled to take place, or within three months of a compensation request, whichever date is later.

Receipt of the complaint must be acknowledged within seven working days, and a reasoned response must be provided within one month. In specially justified cases, the final response may take up to two months.

21. Missed connection: The airline takes responsibility

If a passenger misses a connecting flight because of a problem with the previous flight, the airline must arrange another flight or another means of transportation. If no solution is provided within five hours, a refund must also be offered. A delay of more than three hours at the final destination may give rise to a right to compensation.

22. Parents and children in adjacent seats

Airlines must allow an adult accompanying a child to sit in an adjacent seat without an additional charge, provided they are traveling under the same contract of carriage. If no seats are available, the airline must make an effort to seat them together.

23. Children’s stroller up to the aircraft

Infants and children may use their stroller at no additional cost up to the gate or aircraft door. Priority boarding is also provided for children with strollers and their accompanying adult.

24. Additional protection for passengers with disabilities

Information must be provided in an accessible format, while in the event of a disruption, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility are entitled to special care and faster assistance. During rerouting, additional connections should also be avoided where possible.

25. Free drinking water and mobile-phone charging at all airports

All EU airports with commercial passenger traffic should provide free drinking water and charging stations for electronic devices. The obligation applies regardless of the time of day, the flight or the terminal where the passenger is located.

What all this means for travelers

The new regulation seeks to make much more specific what happens “next” when an air journey does not proceed as planned. It establishes time limits for refunds and responses, sets rules for lengthy stays inside an aircraft, strengthens travelers’ ability to find an alternative solution themselves, and limits practices such as mandatory vouchers or charges for simple name corrections.

At the same time, an airline cannot simply invoke “extraordinary circumstances” in general terms to avoid paying compensation. It must demonstrate that there is a direct causal link between the extraordinary event and the disruption and that the disruption could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

The rules, however, are not yet in force. The date passengers and airlines should keep in mind is October 23, 2027, when Regulation 2026/2202 will enter into force throughout the EU.