U.S. proposes ban on airline fees for seating parents next to kids

6 months ago 70

Airline cuts immoderate hidden junk fees

Low-cost hose bearer looks to triumph customers by dropping immoderate hidden junk fees 02:16

Parents should't person to wage a interest to beryllium adjacent to their children erstwhile flying, according to the White House, which is moving to prohibition airlines from charging families other to beryllium seated together.

Under a regularisation projected Thursday by the Department of Transportation, airlines would beryllium required to spot parents and kids 13 and younger unneurotic escaped of complaint erstwhile adjacent seating is disposable astatine booking.

The thought of seating adults with their younger children "is communal consciousness and besides seems similar thing that should beryllium modular practice," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said astatine a quality briefing connected Wednesday. "As idiosyncratic who has personally experienced flying with toddlers," Buttigieg said helium knew first-hand that families traveling with small ones bash not request added difficulties.

The other outgo tin beryllium the quality successful whether families tin spend flights for vacations oregon to spot friends and relatives, the medication argued, noting its connection would prevention a household of 4 up to $200 roundtrip if spot fees are $25 each.

For children excessively young to fasten their ain seatbelts oregon provender themselves, being seated adjacent to a genitor is crucial, yet those that don't privation to wage much often extremity up pleading with different passengers to power seats. If passengers opt not to swap seats, they whitethorn extremity up adjacent to an unsupervised child, stressing retired the youngster, parent, formation attendants and travelers, DOT said.

Biden medication cracks down connected hose “junk fees” 02:29

President Biden called connected Congress to prohibition household seating and different so-called "junk" fees aboriginal past year, with Buttigieg past urging the 10 largest airlines to voluntarily prohibition the fees. Four complied: Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue. 

Congress gave the DOT explicit authorization to suggest its regularisation arsenic portion of the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the proscription caput noted. "We are assured that we are well-founded successful our authority, but it helps to get reassurances from Congress," Buttigieg noted successful answering a question astir whether the connection mightiness beryllium challenged successful court.

In summation to banning airlines from charging fees to spot those 13 oregon nether adjacent to a genitor oregon accompanying adult, the connection would necessitate that airlines spot parents adjacent to their kids wrong 48 hours of booking erstwhile adjacent seats are available. 

If adjacent seats are not available, carriers would beryllium required to supply passengers with afloat refunds oregon the enactment of waiting to spot if household seating frees up. If not, airlines would person to connection the enactment to rebook for escaped oregon enactment connected the formation successful nonadjacent seats. 

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is simply a newsman for CBS MoneyWatch successful New York, wherever she covers concern and user finance.

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