The US Department of Transportation has put forward legislation to prevent airlines from charging extra fees for families with young children to sit together. This would apply to both US and foreign-based carriers. As part of the legislation, airlines would be required to seat families with children aged 13 and under together and for free. They would have to confirm that parents are seated next to their children within 48 hours of booking.
According to the ruling, this should be in the same row, not separated by an aisle. However, in cases where that is not possible, across the aisle or directly in front or behind a parent is also compliant. If that is not possible, the airline must provide a free refund, or the option to wait for adjacent seats to become available (if this is the passengers’ preferred option). Airlines that do not comply could face civil penalties.
Making traveling with children easier
The idea was first put forward in February 2023, and in May 2024 was signed into law by President Joe Biden. As reported by USA Today, the country’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, explained the reasoning behind the proposed legislation, saying,
“Many airlines still don’t guarantee family seating, which means parents wonder if they’ll have to pay extra just to be seated with their young child. Flying with children is already complicated enough without having to worry about that. The new rule we’re proposing today, which would ban airlines from charging parents a fee to sit with their children, is another example of the Biden-Harris Administration using all the tools at our disposal to lower costs for families and protect consumers from unfair practices.”
The latest proposal will now be put forward for public consultation before a final version is implemented
Strengthening consumer rights
President Biden has been keen to revolutionize the law around air travel, calling for stricter, more customer-friendly regulations and increasing transparency. His administration has also blocked further airline consolidation in recent months, putting an end to the proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, and ending the alliance between JetBlue and American Airlines.
Back in March 2023, the DoT launched its family seating dashboard. So far, the tool has shown that four airlines now guarantee family seating without additional fees – American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines. According to the DoT, the country’s other major carriers have policies that attempt to seat families together, but fall short of a guarantee.