EU Air Passenger Rights for Greek Island Travelers

If the flights you're booking this season carry you to Greece — whether that means tracking down some of the country's enchanting hidden beaches or planning a culinary journey through its most authentic flavors — a meaningful upgrade to your rights as a passenger is on the way. The European Union has adopted new rules strengthening air passenger protections, covering everything from baggage and boarding passes to delays, cancellations, refunds and compensation.

The changes take effect on October 23, 2027, handing travelers new safeguards while spelling out clearer duties for airlines, intermediaries and airports.

Under Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, the rules will apply to flights departing from EU airports regardless of the airline's country of origin, as well as to flights leaving non-EU countries for the EU when operated by an EU carrier.

The regulation was formally adopted on September 16 and published in the EU's Official Journal on October 2. It enters into force on October 22, 2026, but the bulk of its provisions will only start to apply a year later, from October 23, 2027.

Among the most visible changes, passengers will be guaranteed one small personal item in the cabin free of charge, airlines will have to present baggage pricing more clearly, and no traveler can be made to rely on an app just to access a boarding pass.

The package also toughens protection for delays, cancellations, missed connections and overbooking, sets deadlines for refunds and compensation claims, and introduces extra safeguards for families and for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

What Changes for Air Passengers

Here are the headline changes travelers can expect once the new rules begin applying in October 2027:

1. A personal item in the cabin, free of charge — Every passenger will be entitled to bring one personal item on board without an additional charge. It must measure no more than 40 × 30 × 15 cm or fit under the seat in front. You may also carry food and drinks suitable for the journey, subject to the applicable security and safety requirements.

2. Bigger hand baggage can still cost extra — The regulation does not make a trolley case or other larger cabin bag automatically free. Airlines may keep selling cheaper fares that leave hand baggage out. One notable change, though: when fares are displayed, the offer including hand baggage must appear by default, which makes prices easier to compare. And if a permitted bag later has to travel in the hold because of capacity, safety requirements or an aircraft change, no additional charge may be imposed.

3. Clearer baggage pricing — Before purchase, passengers must receive clear information about the number, maximum dimensions and weight of permitted personal items, hand baggage and checked bags, together with the applicable charges and details on special baggage. The regulation also strengthens the procedures for items left aboard an aircraft.

4. Printed boarding passes at no extra cost — Travelers will be able to present a legible printed boarding pass without being charged simply for opting for paper instead of a digital version.

5. No forced app downloads — Passengers cannot be required to download a particular airline application or create an account merely to obtain or use their boarding pass. The rules also cover those who cannot show a digital pass because, say, a device runs out of power: where the regulation's conditions are met, the carrier must hand over a printed boardating pass free of charge. The same area includes the free correction, at least once, of qualifying name errors when requested at least 48 hours before departure — though this does not allow the ticket to be transferred to another person.

6. Compensation for arriving three hours or more late — Passengers reaching their final destination three hours or more behind schedule may qualify for compensation, subject to the regulation's conditions and its extraordinary-circumstances rules. The amounts are tied to distance: 250 euros for journeys of 1,500 km or less; 400 euros for intra-EU journeys over 1,500 km and other journeys between 1,500 and 3,500 km; and 600 euros for journeys outside those categories. In certain long-distance cases, the 600-euro figure may be cut by 50 percent where the specified arrival-time conditions are met.

7. A refund option after a five-hour departure delay — Where departure is delayed by at least five hours, passengers can choose not to continue and seek reimbursement instead. And where carrying on no longer serves the trip's original purpose, the rules can also cover reimbursement for parts of the journey already flown and, where relevant, a return to the initial point of departure.

8. Clearer rights when a flight is cancelled — Following a cancellation, passengers can choose between reimbursement and rerouting, and may also qualify for compensation of 250, 400 or 600 euros depending on distance and circumstances. Whether compensation is due depends on how far in advance passengers were informed, the alternative transport offered and extraordinary circumstances.

9. Money back within seven calendar days — Where reimbursement is owed, it must generally be paid within seven calendar days, and the amount can include relevant intermediary fees where the regulation's conditions are met. Rerouting, meanwhile, does not have to be on the same airline — other carriers and, where appropriate, other modes of transport can be used to get passengers to their destination.

10. Arranging your own rerouting in certain cases — If a carrier fails to offer the required rerouting within the specified three-hour period, passengers may, under the regulation's conditions, organize their own alternative travel after informing the airline. Necessary, reasonable and appropriate costs are then reimbursable, subject to a ceiling of 400 percent of the full ticket price plus applicable intermediary fees.

11. Vouchers only by agreement — A voucher may be offered in place of a cash reimbursement only with the passenger's consent. Vouchers generally remain valid for up to 12 months, with one agreed extension possible, and any remaining amount after expiry must be reimbursed under the applicable conditions rather than simply being lost.

12. More specific rules on food, drinks and communication — Whenever the right to care is triggered, airlines must provide refreshments and meals in proportion to the waiting period. The new rules make these obligations more specific, covering refreshments or light meals and, for longer disruptions, meals at prescribed intervals with a maximum of three per day. Care also includes internet access and two telephone calls.

13. Hotel accommodation when an overnight stay becomes necessary — Finally, where a disruption requires passengers to stay over, the airline must provide hotel accommodation.