Heidi Alexander said the new European Parliament airline luggage regulations will let passengers take two items of hand luggage at no extra cost from October 2027 at the earliest. The rules would also stop airlines charging families extra to sit together, while UK travellers face a split system on some routes.
Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said: “Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to sit next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error.” She added: “That’s why we’re scrapping these unnecessary charges for all airlines.”
UK and Europe in October
Under the rules, one bag would fit under the seat in front of the passenger, such as a handbag, rucksack or satchel. The larger cabin bag could weigh up to 7kg. The changes are set to come into force in the UK and Europe in October 2027 at the earliest.
The government said a parent and child could be charged as much as £104 to sit together for a return journey. Alexander described the family seating charge as “another everyday fix to help put money back in people’s pockets and give households more breathing room.”
Heidi Alexander on family charges
The clearest benefit is simple: passengers would have a fixed rule on cabin bags rather than different airline add-ons. For families, the seating rule removes a cost that can quickly build across a return trip, especially when a booking error needs correcting.
But the protection will not apply evenly in both directions for British travellers. Flights coming from inside the EU to the UK will be subject to the new luggage rules, while outbound flights from the UK will not be subject to them at present.
Will the UK
That means a flight from Barcelona to Manchester would be covered, while a flight from Manchester to Barcelona would not. The UK government could make rules to match the EU ones, and that choice will decide whether passengers get the same baggage treatment both ways or only on the return leg into the UK.
For travellers booking trips now, the practical point is to treat the new system as a 2027 change with an uneven start. Families and passengers carrying more than one bag would still need to check the direction of travel before assuming the same fare rules will apply on both sides of the channel.
