08/24/2026
It won't fix helping the kids get some sleep during the 12 hour flight or with getting better food, but European family travel is about to get a little easier.
The EU has approved a major update to its air-passenger protections, with the new rules expected to start sometime in 2027.
For families, the biggest improvement is simple: airlines will have to seat a child under 14 next to an accompanying adult without charging a seat-selection fee.
A few other helpful changes:
• Airlines will have 30 days to approve a compensation claim or explain why it was denied.
• If an airline cannot reroute you within three hours after a cancellation, you’ll be able to arrange your own flight, train or bus and request reimbursement of up to 400% of the original ticket price.
• Missing the outbound portion of a round-trip ticket will no longer allow the airline to cancel your return flight or charge you to use it.
• Travelers will have a standard nine-month window to file compensation claims instead of dealing with a different deadline in each country.
None of this will prevent delays or cancellations, but it should remove some of the uncertainty that makes disrupted travel with children especially stressful. The free family-seating requirement alone should provide some additional peace of mind when planning a trip to Europe.
The exact start date still depends on publication in the EU’s Official Journal. The rules will begin applying 12 months and 20 days after publication. Maybe someday we'll have this in the US. Dreamers can dream.
