The Brief – Will the dream of free hand luggage get off the ground? Don't bet on it

Euractiv

9 hours ago

If you've stressed over buying your cabin bag for your flight home, don't get your hopes up for EU lawmakers settling the issue any time soon.
Earlier this year, passengers across the continent welcomed the announcement that the European Parliament transport committee would push to make a second piece of free hand luggage a legal right for flights across Europe. Until now, we have depended on the goodwill of airlines to carry on board anything more than a pathetically small personal items bag.
But despite the committee's best intentions, MEPs have undermined the outcome before even starting the confrontation with the Council of the EU, where governments want to restrict, rather than increase, air passenger rights.
Rather than setting their sights on securing a meaningful luggage allowance, MEPs have instead proposed a risible minimum allowance – one that, if enforced by airlines, would permit only the smallest of bags.
According to their motion, the minimum sum of length, width, and height would be capped at 100cm – barely more than two shoe boxes. It's small to the point of being impractical, and would do little to alleviate the frustration of passengers.
Some might argue it's an improvement on the existing situation, but the reality is that airlines would likely be even more stringent in checking the size of hand luggage – and hammering passengers who exceed the limit. At the same time, airlines are already playing the victim and have framed the right to a second free luggage item as unfair for those who want to fly 'light' (with just a small backpack) without paying extra.
The truth is that allowances have been reduced year after year, forcing passengers to pay extra. And whilst there is a chance that airlines would try to recoup lost revenue – for instance, by inflating ticket prices – doing so risks losing passengers.
Given that the limit would be applied across the board, it would more likely just be something airlines would have to swallow. Which of course explains their loud protest.
Consumers shouldn't hold their breath for a substantial improvement to baggage allowances. The parliament's lead negotiator on the file, the Italian democrat Matteo Ricci, has bigger things on his mind. Namely, the chance of being elected as governor of la Marche region at the end of September; and defending himself in a corruption investigation over funds he awarded as mayor of Pesaro city.
He's hardly the hand luggage hero EU travellers long for. And though a second item of hand luggage might technically be a win for consumer rights, the gain could have been much greater if EU lawmakers had the courage to really challenge private airlines' interests. Roundup Life after plastic – Plastic pollution is highly detrimental to human and animal health, and is expected to triple by 2060 if no action is taken to reverse the trend. But a global treaty to limit pollution is facing pushback from petrostates.
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