Traveling with children is a fun way to build memories and let them experience various cultures. Still, some airlines charge fees for specific seats, meaning you can’t sit with your child unless you’re willing to pay extra. Luckily, several airlines have pledged to make it cheaper for families to travel together. The Transportation Department is rolling out a dashboard that makes it easier to find airlines based on their seating policies.
In this article: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet, UniLiGis Washable Travel Laundry Bag and Dr. Talbot's Deluxe Baby Wipes Dispenser.
On Mar. 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled a dashboard that lets you see which airlines seat children with their guardians without additional fees. Those that accommodate fee-free family seating receive a green checkmark. The web page also has dashboards detailing each airline’s cancellation and delay policies, making it easier to choose the best service.
It’s important to note that airlines can set conditions for fee-free family seating. For example, they only have to offer fee-free seating if the child is on the same reservation and it’s physically possible to do so.
When flying on an airline with an open-seating policy, you must inform the gate agent that you need adjacent seats. Airlines with assigned-seating policies don’t have to honor the offer if adjacent seats aren’t available or if they must substitute the plane for a smaller aircraft. Making changes to your assigned seats can negate the offer as well.
President Biden’s February State of the Union address mentioned his administration’s commitment to reducing or eliminating “junk” fees.
“We’re making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is canceled or delayed,” said Biden. “We’ll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 round trip for families just to sit together.”
Fee-free family seating isn’t required by law yet, but Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is urging airlines to make this “common-sense change” ahead of impending regulations. “Parents traveling with young kids should be able to sit together without an airline forcing them to pay junk fees,” Buttigieg said. “All airlines should do this promptly, even as we move forward to develop a rule establishing this as a requirement across the board.”
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Cody Stewart writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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