This summer, A4E member airlines backed the EU member-state transport ministers' proposals to implement a minimum standard size (40 × 30 × 15 cm) for the personal bag included in basic airline fare.
Most A4E member airlines already include a personal bag that far exceeds the proposed size. Today, we confirm that we have upheld our commitment: all A4E member airlines now implement the Council’s proposal as a minimum.
“Baggage rules must be simple and transparent, that’s why we proactively adopted the standard minimum dimensions agreed by Member States in June,” stated Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines4Europe (A4E). “Passengers now have more clarity and can continue to choose between airlines offering this standard or a bigger size. This decision both listens to consumers’ needs and is grounded in how airlines operate in practice. The polar opposite of the overzealous proposal to offer a ‘free’ second cabin bag.”
Recent data demonstrates that most passengers prefer a lower fare with the option to pay for a second cabin bag, rather than a higher fare with a second bag included. Yet, the European Parliament still proposes that passengers pay for a second ‘free’ cabin bag as part of the basic fare.
Clarifying the minimum a passenger can expect to bring on board and continuing to offer them the choice of what they need and what they want to pay for is a common-sense step – ensuring transparency and consistency without disrupting operations or forcing unnecessary fare hikes, more emissions from heavier planes, or longer boarding times.
Tags: Ourania Georgoutsakou, Airlines4Europe (A4E)
