New Law to Ban Airlines from Charging to Sit with Children

A new law proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation would require U.S. and foreign airlines to seat children 13 or younger next to their parent or guardian for free or offer them a refund.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a new rule to prevent airlines from charging extra for parents to sit with their young children.

Announced Thursday, the rule requires U.S. and foreign airlines to seat children 13 or younger next to their parent or guardian for free. If seats aren’t available at booking, airlines must offer a full refund or allow families to wait for seats to open up. If seats are still unavailable when boarding begins, airlines must provide free rebooking on the next flight with available adjacent seating.

This rule, estimated to save a family of four up to $200 in seat fees for a round trip, is part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act signed by President Joe Biden in May. The act also increases penalties for airlines violating consumer laws and mandates a “dashboard” for comparing seat sizes across airlines.

Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted that airlines like Alaska, American, Frontier, and JetBlue already offer free adjacent seating for children 13 and under. Public comments on the rule will be accepted for the next 60 days.

The proposal comes amidst the Biden administration’s efforts to eliminate “junk fees.” This follows an April rule requiring automatic refunds for canceled or delayed flights, which airlines have challenged in court.

Buttigieg expressed confidence that the rule is well-founded, supported by Congressional authority, and said it aims to reduce the stress of flying with children.