Proposed U.S. rule would ban airlines from charging parents additional fees to sit with their children

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new rule that would ban airlines from charging parents more to sit with their young children.

Under the proposal, released Thursday, U.S. and foreign carriers would be required to seat children ages 13 or younger next to a parent or accompanying adult for free.

If adjacent seats aren’t available when a parent books a flight, airlines would be required to let families choose between a full refund or waiting to see if a seat opens up. If seats don’t become available before other passengers begin boarding, airlines must give families the option to rebook for free on the next flight with available adjacent seating. The Biden administration estimates the rule could save a family of four as much as US$200 in seat fees for a round trip.

“Flying with children is already complicated enough without having to worry about that,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

Airlines for America, a trade association representing the industry, said in a statement that airlines already make an effort to accommodate families. “Each carrier has established individual policies, and all make every effort to ensure families sit together,” the group said in a statement. But Buttigieg said only four airlines – Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue – already guarantee that children ages 13 and under can sit next to an accompanying adult for free.

Congress authorized the Department of Transportation to prop.