In a groundbreaking move aimed at enhancing family travel experiences, the Transportation Department has put forth a proposal that would prohibit airlines from charging parents a fee to sit next to their young children on flights within the US. According to the department's summary of the proposal released on Thursday, carriers would be mandated to seat parents next to their children, aged 13 years or younger, free of charge when adjacent seats are available.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized that the concept of ensuring parents are seated beside their children during flights is a matter of basic common sense. He stated that this practice should be a fundamental standard in the airline industry. Airlines would need to offer alternatives in cases where adjacent seats are not available, such as providing a full refund or allowing parents to wait for seats to become vacant before the flight's departure time. Penalties would be imposed on carriers found to be in violation of these regulations.
This proposal is part of Buttigieg's broader efforts to expand consumer protections for travelers and to hold airlines accountable for compliance with US regulations. Notably, the department is currently investigating Delta Air Lines Inc.'s response to a recent technology outage that resulted in a significant number of flight cancellations and passenger grievances.
Earlier in April, the department finalized a rule requiring airlines to issue automatic cash refunds for flights that are canceled or undergo significant changes. However, the department encountered a setback when a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a different rule that required airlines to disclose certain fees upfront. The court granted the airline industry's request to halt the rule pending further review.