Flying with children can already be a stressful experience, especially with the added worry of having to pay extra just to sit together as a family. The United States Department of Transportation is taking steps to change that by proposing a new rule that would ban airlines from charging parents more to sit with their young children.
Here are the key points of the proposed rule:
- Children ages 13 or younger must be seated next to a parent or accompanying adult for free on US and foreign carriers.
- Airlines must give families the option of a refund or waiting for adjacent seats to become available when booking a flight.
- If adjacent seats are not available before boarding begins, families can rebook for free on the next flight with available adjacent seating.
- The Biden administration estimates that the rule could save a family of four up to $200 in seat fees for a round trip.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of this rule, stating, “Flying with children is already complicated enough without having to worry about that.”
While Airlines for America mentioned that carriers make efforts to accommodate families, only four airlines currently guarantee that children ages 13 and under can sit next to an accompanying adult for free.
The Department of Transportation was authorized to propose this rule as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act signed by President Joe Biden. In addition to banning family seating fees, the legislation raises penalties for airlines that violate consumer laws and requires the publication of a “dashboard” for consumers to compare seat sizes on different airlines.
The proposed family seating rule is open for comments for the next 60 days before a final rule is crafted. Airlines have been resistant to the Biden administration’s push to eliminate “junk fees,” such as automatically issuing cash refunds for cancelled or delayed flights and being transparent about fees for baggage and cancellations.
Although airlines have sued to block certain rules, Buttigieg expressed confidence in the family seating rule, given the backing of Congress. He stated, “Any rule we put forward, we are confident it is well-founded in our authorities.”
In conclusion, the Department of Transportation’s proposed family seating rule seeks to alleviate the burden on parents traveling with young children and ensure they can sit together without incurring additional charges. This effort is part of a broader initiative to protect consumers and enhance transparency in the airline industry.
