Travelers to Europe will hate this costly rule change | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

In 2024, over 20 million Americans visited Europe. That’s more than the number who visited pre-pandemic.

It’s understandable that so many Americans want to go to Europe, as there is a lot to offer in terms of history and culture across the continent. In fact, a good number of people from the United States travel to Europe and then hop from country to country, often taking advantage of either the excellent train network or the many discount airlines that operate within the EU.

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If you are headed to Europe soon, though, you may discover a rule change that could cost you both time and money.

This rule change will primarily affect travelers on flights originating within one of the European Union countries. However, it could also impact a broader array of passengers, including some people flying domestically within the U.S., as well as those who decide to go overseas for their travel adventures.

Here is what you need to know about the rule change that could cost you.

Barcelona is one of the place in the EU affected by the rule change.

Image source&colon; Shutterstock

European travelers won’t be happy about this new rule that comes at their expense

The new rule that could end up costing you money has to do with what happens when your plane is delayed.

Right now, passengers enjoy some pretty strong protections for flight delays not caused by extreme events. For example, passengers on short-haul flights that are delayed by three hours or more are currently entitled to compensation of up to €250 from their airline. Those who are delayed on long-haul flights can get up to €600.

Those compensation rules are not going to last long, though. That’s because, after trying since 2013, the EU has managed to agree on a revision to the European Union’s passenger rights rule.

After 12 years of discussion, the changes can finally move forward, and all that’s left is for the final plan to be negotiated with the European parliament before the new rules take effect.

Under the new rules, passengers now must be delayed for four hours or more in order to get compensation. For long-haul flights, that time is now six hours or more. Plus, while compensation is going up from €250 to €300 for short-haul flights, it is going down to €500 for long-haul trips.

Which flights are affected?

The new rules apply to travelers when their flights originate within the 27 countries that are part of the EU. These countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Some flights outside of the EU in a small number of regions are also covered, including those run by EU carriers operating in any other countries, as well as those operated by partner airlines or on codeshare flights that connect via Europe, even if they are outside of the EU. That includes flights that connect in the U.S., operated by U.S. carriers, if they either originate in or end in an EU country.

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Travelers need to be aware of these new limits on the compensation they receive, once the EU member countries approve them officially, because now if you get stuck with your trip interrupted due to a long delay, you’re going to get less money for your troubles.