Friendlier Skies: European Union Considers Nixing Carry-On Baggage Fees  

European Union lawmakers from the transport committee passed an amendment on air passenger rights Tuesday that grants travelers the right to bring a carry-on bag weighing up to 15 pounds on board without being charged, Politico reported. 

If this rule is approved in negotiations with EU governments, it would allow passengers to bring a 15-pound bag on the plane for free in addition to one smaller, under-the-seat item. 

The move is being fiercely fought by the airlines, who are warning that it would force companies to increase ticket prices, even for people flying without the 15-pound bag. 

“What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket?” Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) lobby group, said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s vote. “The European Parliament should let travelers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don’t.”  

EU lawmakers have increasingly been at odds with industry groups over the explosion of fees over the past decade for various services considered essential, analysts say. For example, after EU officials grew increasingly worried over huge roaming bills on cell phones, they passed a law banning them across the European Economic Area.

Concerns about airline fees have been mounting for the past five years. 

The lawmakers behind the amendment say that the new right is based on a 2014 Court of Justice ruling that said a carry-on bag is to be considered a “necessary aspect of the carriage of passenger” and it can’t “be made subject to a price supplement” if it meets the “reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions.” 

Airlines and analysts have been discussing the meaning of “reasonable requirements” for years. Now, EU lawmakers are setting the standard at 15 pounds as a weight limit and a size limit of about 40 inches (the sum of length, width, and height). 

Low-cost airlines will likely be the most impacted by the change, as they usually allow only an under-the-seat bag for free and charge passengers for carry-ons, even if they fit in the overhead bin. Still, over the past decade, even the larger airline companies such as Air France or Germany’s Lufthansa now charge extra for carry-ons. 

Airlines say that bringing a 15-pound carry-on on the plane will create problems during the boarding phase and lead to extra delays if there are too many bags compared to cabin space. A4E noted that, typically, aircraft cabins have 180 seats but only have space for 90 carry-ons in the overhead bins. 

However, the amendment would force the airlines to store the bags in the cabin or in the hold for free.