WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a new rule banning airlines from charging parents extra for sitting next to their young children.
Under the proposal, which was released Thursday, U.S. and foreign airlines would be required to seat children 13 and younger with a parent or accompanying adult for free.
If there are no adjacent seats available when parents book a flight, airlines must allow families to choose between a full ticket refund or waiting to see if a seat becomes available. If there are no seats available before other passengers begin boarding, airlines must give families the option to rebook free of charge on the next flight with available adjacent seats.
The rule could save a family of four up to $200 in seat fees for a round-trip trip.
Airlines for America, a trade association representing the industry, said in a statement that airlines already make efforts to accommodate families.
“Each airline has established individual policies, and all make every effort to ensure that families are seated together,” the group said in a statement.
The government said only four airlines — Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue — now guarantee that children 13 and younger can sit free with an accompanying adult.
Congress authorized the Transportation Department to propose a rule banning family-seating fees as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in May.
The law also increases penalties for airlines that violate consumer protection laws and requires the Department of Transportation to publish a “dashboard” so consumers can compare seat sizes on different airlines.
Over the next 60 days, the department will receive comments on the proposed family seating rule and will then draft the final rule.
Source: With information from AP