New EU air passenger rules: what they mean for your school trip

If you are planning a trip to Europe, including Switzerland, there is a change worth knowing about. The EU has agreed the biggest update to air passenger rights in over twenty years. Here is what it covers, and what it actually means for a school group flying from the UK.

What has changed

On 7 July 2026, the European Parliament voted 646 to 12 in favour of the reform. The European Council gave final approval on 13 July. Airlines have twelve months to get ready, so the new rules are expected to apply from around mid-2027.

Compensation stays the same. A delay of three hours or more, or a cancellation at short notice, still means 250 to 600 euros per passenger, depending on distance. Airlines can still refuse to pay when the cause is genuinely outside their control, such as severe weather.

The bigger news is a set of everyday fees that are going away:

• Hand luggage. A free personal item and a small cabin bag are now included in the fare. Larger wheelie bags can still be charged for, but the price you see up front has to include the carry-on, so trips are easier to compare.
• Sitting children with an adult. Airlines must seat a child under fourteen next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost, which should help keep your group together without paying for seat selection.
• Name corrections. Charging to fix a spelling mistake in a name is banned, with at least one free correction of an obvious error. This covers typos, not swapping one pupil for another.
• Protected return flights. Missing the outbound leg can no longer cancel your return.

There is also a clearer claims process. Airlines must explain how to claim within four days of your trip, you get nine months to file, and the airline has thirty days to pay or give a reason.

The catch for UK trips

These are EU rules, adopted by Switzerland too. Since Brexit, flights leaving the UK run under the UK's own version, UK261, which is not changing.

In practice, that splits your trip in two:

• Your outbound flight from the UK runs under UK261. No change, so current airline fees still apply.
• Your return flight from a European airport runs under the new rules, whichever airline you fly.

So the free cabin bag, the free child seating and the no-fee name correction are guaranteed on the way home, but not automatically on the way out. However, there is a good chance the UK will follow suit, which would bring both sides of your trip back in line.

What it means for your school trip

Day to day, your trip runs the same. But on a group of thirty or forty, these are not small savings. A cabin bag each, seats kept together, name corrections on the manifest: it adds up.

As the rules roll out, we will reflect them in your quotes and itineraries, so you can see exactly what is included.

Planning a school trip to Europe? Talk to us, and we will walk you through what changes and when.