The European Parliament has approved new air passenger rights rules, introducing free family seating and greater transparency on ticket prices while largely preserving existing compensation rights for delayed flights.
A broad majority of 646 members of the European Parliament voted in favour of the reform on Tuesday.
It stipulates, for example, that parents will be able to reserve seats next to their children on flights free of charge and that ticket prices must be clearly displayed.
The rules for compensation in the event of delayed flights are to remain essentially unchanged.
The EU member states originally wanted passengers to be compensated only for major delays in the future, and, depending on the distance, to receive less money.
However, following an agreement reached in June, the current rules remain in place, with travellers entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by at least three hours.
Compensation amounts will continue to depend on the distance travelled: €250 ($285) for flights of up to 1,500 kilometres, €400 for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres, and €600 for flights of more than 3,500 kilometres, provided the journey is not entirely within the EU.
The same thresholds will apply to cancelled flights if the cancellation occurs less than 14 days before departure. In all cases, compensation is only due if the airline is responsible for the disruption.
Airlines will not be liable, for example, for delays or cancellations caused by unruly passengers, severe weather, natural disasters or strikes by airports or ground-handling companies.
The new rules will apply to flights operated by EU airlines as well as flights by non-EU carriers departing from the EU. Once the legislation enters into force, airlines will have 12 months to implement the new requirements.
The legislation now requires formal approval by EU member states, a step widely seen as a formality.