Parents Will No Longer Have to Pay Extra to Sit Next to Their Kids on Airplanes and It’s About Time
While you may have to pay extra to secure a window seat on some airlines, moms and dads no longer have to break the bank to ensure they sit next to their kid on the airplane.
According to The Department of Transportation newly released guidelines, airlines will now provide parents with children who are under 13 adjacent seats at no additional cost!
So here’s what you should know about the new guidelines.
The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has also released their own statement revealing that while the number of complaints about this issue were relatively low, but “even one complaint is significant for the impacted travelers.”
The notice further explains that airlines “should do everything that they can to ensure the ability of a young child (age 13 or younger) to be seated next to an accompanying adult (over age 13) family member or other accompanying adult, without charging fees for adjacent seating.”
While words may look pretty on paper, the OACP says in four months they will also be monitoring airlines’ regarding the new guidelines and will enact further regulation if need be.
More specifically, while airlines are required to seat young kids with one accompanying adult, they’re not required to seat the entire family together.
The new guidance also doesn’t require seat upgrades, that is an additional cost.
Advice from the DoT for families traveling together on an airplane?
- Purchase tickets that allow assigned seats to be selected
- Book all family members on the same reservation
- Contact the airline directly if there any seating issues before your flight
All the more reason to go on vacation.
