By Maribel Velazquez
Aug 12, 2024, 6:46 PM EDT
Starting September 1, the way we travel by air will undergo some changes that users will have to adapt to quickly, given that the hand luggage regulations are imminent and will indirectly impact American tourists.
According to official information, when travelling by plane, users must consider a series of rules, which in some cases may even serve to get a much cheaper trip, so if you tend to travel on a regular basis it is important to pay attention to the EU regulations that have just put an end to a historic claim.
The European Parliament reported that “airlines around the world have different policies and restrictions regarding the size and weight of hand luggage that passengers can take on board, often leading to confusion, inconvenience and unpleasant travel experiences, delays and delays, arranged between passengers and airline staff.”
Luggage, an “essential element”
Furthermore, it noted that airlines’ different rules regarding the size of carry-on and checked baggage, as well as the fees charged to passengers, create hidden costs when a passenger uses the services of different airlines or has to change airlines for unforeseen reasons or practices, so this ruling will consider baggage an “essential item” in the transportation of passengers, as long as it meets reasonable criteria regarding weight and dimensions, which implies that there should be no additional cost.
According to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament, “when reviewing the current EU legislation on air services (Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008), the Commission should fully implement a ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU (Case C-487/12) according to which baggage should be considered an ‘indispensable element’ of the transport of passengers provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions and that, therefore, its transport cannot be subject to an additional charge”.
Although the world is about to discover a new way of travelling, it is also true that the cost of flights has changed dramatically in recent years; low-cost airlines have changed everything, as they have taught humans to travel lightly for an amount that no one could have imagined years ago and that even today seems impossible, just because you know you can get to the other side of the city for a price that cannot even be compared to travelling by car.
The Spanish press reported that MEPs also pointed out that the permitted dimensions of travel bags or transport boxes vary slightly between airlines for small animals travelling in the cabin as hand luggage, which causes the same inconveniences.
Parliament also urged Member States to ensure that this ruling is respected, as well as to ensure transparency in the disclosure of any fees associated with hand luggage, in particular by providing information on prices and flight times in order to protect consumer protection.
As with every airline, carry-on luggage has a specific size, which tourists should carefully check to avoid surprises.