The U.S. Department of Transportation has put forth a new rule aimed at prohibiting airlines from charging parents extra fees to sit with their young children while traveling. This proposal would mandate U.S. and foreign airlines to seat children aged 13 or below next to their parent or accompanying adult at no additional cost. If adjacent seats are unavailable at the time of booking, airlines must offer families the choice between a full refund or waiting to see if seats become available. Should no seats open up before boarding, families are to be given the option to rebook on the next available flight with adjacent seating, free of charge.
The Biden administration predicts that this rule could potentially save a family of four up to $200 in seat fees for a round trip. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the added stress of flying with children and expressed support for the rule. Certain airlines, including Alaska, American, Frontier, and JetBlue, already guarantee complimentary seating for children under 13 alongside an adult.
The Department of Transportation has been granted authorization by Congress to propose this rule as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, signed by President Joe Biden. The legislation not only aims to ban family seating fees but also to enhance penalties for airlines infringing consumer protection laws, as well as introduce a consumer-friendly “dashboard” for comparing seat sizes across airlines.
Public feedback on this proposed family seating rule will be accepted for the next 60 days before finalizing the rule. Airlines have been resisting the Biden administration’s efforts to eliminate what they label as “junk fees.” In a separate recent development, a court temporarily blocked an administration rule necessitating airlines to issue cash refunds for canceled or delayed flights, following a lawsuit by airlines challenging its authority.
When asked about potential legal challenges to the family seating rule, Buttigieg underlined the Department’s confidence in the rule’s legality, given the congressional backing it received. Airlines have been questioning the Biden administration’s motives to curb additional fees, so the outcome of this proposal remains one to watch.
