European Parliament Confirms Air Passenger Rights: Compensation for Three-Hour Delays Stays

<p>On 7 July 2026, the European Parliament gave final approval to the revised rules on air passenger rights, adopting the text by a decisive margin of 646 votes in favour, 12 against and 3 abstentions. The vote closes more than thirteen years of deadlock over the framework that has been in force since 2004.</p>

<p>For passengers, the most important news is what did not change. An attempt to weaken these rights was rejected, and the core protections travellers rely on remain intact.</p>

<h2>What stays the same</h2>

<p>The right to compensation for a flight delay of more than three hours has been preserved. This was the central point of dispute, because a group of EU member states had proposed moving the threshold to between four and six hours, which would have left a large number of passengers without any right to compensation. That proposal did not pass.</p>

<p>Compensation amounts also remain unchanged and depend on the distance of the flight:</p>

<ul>

<li>250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km</li>

<li>400 euros for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km</li>

<li>600 euros for flights longer than 3,500 km</li>

</ul>

<p>The right to a refund of the ticket or to re-routing when a flight is cancelled also remains, as does the right to compensation when a cancellation is announced less than 14 days before departure or when a passenger is denied boarding.</p>

<p>The duty of care toward passengers waiting at the airport is preserved as well. The airline must still provide refreshments every two hours of waiting, a meal after three hours, and, where necessary for long delays, accommodation for up to three nights when the disruption is beyond the carrier's control.</p>

<h2>What is new</h2>

<p>Alongside defending existing rights, the reform brings a number of concrete improvements.</p>

<p><strong>A faster, simpler process.</strong> A passenger who chooses a refund instead of re-routing receives it automatically. In the event of a disruption, the airline must inform the passenger electronically, within 96 hours, about their rights and how to submit a compensation claim. Accessing that information will not require creating a user account or a special app. Once a claim is received, the airline has 30 days to pay the compensation, to invoke extraordinary circumstances, or to give a clear explanation for refusing it.</p>

<p><strong>An end to penalties for an unused first leg.</strong> Passengers will be able to use the return leg of a return ticket even when they did not use the outbound leg, with no extra charge.</p>

<p><strong>Cabin baggage and price transparency.</strong> A new right allows passengers to bring one personal item on board free of charge, such as a small bag or backpack. To make fares comparable, airlines, intermediaries and search sites will have to display the ticket price together with hand baggage from the very start of the booking process.</p>

<p><strong>Fewer hidden costs.</strong> Passengers will no longer pay extra fees to correct a spelling error in a name, or for a printed boarding pass once they have already checked in. The right to a digital boarding pass is also secured, with no separate request and no obligation to hold an account or app.</p>

<p><strong>Stronger protection for families and passengers who need assistance.</strong> Families with children will not be separated when seats are assigned, and the companion of a child under 14 receives an adjacent seat at no additional cost. The same right applies to passengers with disabilities and to pregnant travellers. Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility will have the right to compensation, re-routing and assistance if they miss a flight because the airport failed to help them reach the gate on time.</p>

<p><strong>A clearer list of extraordinary circumstances.</strong> The reform writes into the rules an open list of situations in which an airline is not required to pay compensation because they lie beyond its control. These include natural disasters, war, weather conditions, disruptive passenger behaviour, and strikes by airport staff, air traffic control and ground handling. When it invokes an extraordinary circumstance, the airline must provide a clear and understandable explanation.</p>

<p>One limitation remains in place for long flights. On the longest journeys, the airline may reduce compensation by 50 percent if it offers the passenger re-routing, or if the delay on arrival does not exceed four hours.</p>

<h2>What this means for passengers in Serbia and the region</h2>

<p>These are European Union rules. Passengers travelling from Serbia enjoy the same protection on flights to the European Union and within the common European aviation area, on the basis of the ECAA agreement that links Serbia to the European passenger-rights system.</p>

<p>In practice, nothing changes for now. The existing rules continue to apply in full, and the revised text has not yet entered into force. Once the new rules begin to apply, their relevance for passengers in Serbia and the wider region will follow the framework of the ECAA agreement. The takeaway for passengers is simple: the core protections you rely on when flying to the European Union, above all the three-hour threshold and the level of compensation, remain secure.</p>

<h2>When the new rules take effect</h2>

<p>After approval in Parliament, the text is due to be approved by the Council of the European Union in early August 2026. The revised rules enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. From that moment, member states and companies have one year to prepare for implementation. This means passengers will feel the practical effects only once that preparation period has passed.</p>

<h2>Rights are confirmed, but collecting is still not easy</h2>

<p>The message of the reform is encouraging. Passenger rights have not been weakened; in several respects they have been strengthened and simplified. Yet in practice, the real challenge remains what it has always been. Airlines often reject valid claims, invoke extraordinary circumstances even where none exist, and count on the passenger giving up.</p>

<p>This is where FlyPayout steps in. You do nothing, and we handle the entire process on your behalf. You pay nothing upfront, and only once the money reaches your account. If you believe you are entitled to compensation for a delay, a cancellation or denied boarding, check your case with us.</p>

<h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2>

<h3>Did the reform reduce passenger rights?</h3>

<p>No. The attempt to weaken these rights was rejected. The three-hour threshold for compensation was defended, and in several areas the rights were strengthened and simplified.</p>

<h3>Do I still have the right to compensation for a three-hour delay?</h3>

<p>Yes. The right to compensation for a flight delay of more than three hours has been preserved. There was a proposal to move the threshold to between four and six hours, but it did not pass.</p>

<h3>How much is the compensation after the reform?</h3>

<p>The amounts remain unchanged and depend on the distance of the flight: 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km, 400 euros for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and 600 euros for flights longer than 3,500 km. On the longest flights, the compensation may be reduced by 50 percent if the airline offers re-routing or if the delay on arrival does not exceed four hours.</p>

<h3>Are the new rules already in force?</h3>

<p>No. The revised rules have not yet entered into force. The text is due to be approved by the Council of the European Union in early August 2026, followed by publication and a one-year preparation period. Until then, the existing rules apply in full.</p>

<h3>Does the reform apply to passengers in Serbia?</h3>

<p>These are European Union rules. Passengers from Serbia enjoy the same protection on flights to the European Union under the ECAA agreement, and the relevance of the new rules for Serbia will follow the framework of that agreement. The core protections, above all the three-hour threshold and the level of compensation, remain secure.</p>

<h3>Am I entitled to compensation if my flight was delayed by a strike?</h3>

<p>It depends on who was on strike. Strikes by airport staff, air traffic control and ground handling are treated as extraordinary circumstances, in which the airline is not required to pay compensation. Not every strike removes your right, so the safest step is to have your specific case checked with us.</p>