New EU air passenger rights, approved by Members of the European Parliament in September 2026, will protect the right for children under the age of 14 to sit next to an accompanying adult free of charge. This means airlines will be unable to separate families at seat allocation or charge additional fees for adjacent seating.
The changes are due to come into force around August 2027, approximately 12 months and 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. These new rules aim to prevent extra charges for parents and children to sit together, which can quickly accumulate.
Other rights coming into practice next August include easier compensation claims for delayed or cancelled flights, transparent pricing displaying ticket prices with cabin baggage by default, and free personal items stored under the seat.