Overview

• EU ministers backed the regulation by a qualified majority, with Spain, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia voting against and Austria and Estonia abstaining.
• Airlines would gain the right to charge for carry-on baggage, seat reservations for passengers with reduced mobility and booking data corrections.
• Passengers would become eligible for 300 euros of compensation only after a four-hour delay on flights up to 3,500 kilometres and 500 euros after six hours on longer routes.
• The draft regulation also obliges airlines to provide an automated online form for cancellation compensation claims.
• Spain’s transport ministry, together with consumer watchdog BEUC, is banking on a European Parliament vote to block the proposal and preserve existing passenger rights.