US airlines are facing criticism over their family seating fees as the Biden administration intensifies efforts to eliminate so-called junk fees.
The Department of Transportation (DoT) has launched a new dashboard aimed at applying public pressure on airlines to address customer concerns.
The dashboard reveals that American, Alaska, and Frontier airlines allow families with young children to sit together for free. Last month, a bill was introduced proposing the elimination of these fees across all airlines.
“Parents traveling with young children should be able to sit together without being forced to pay junk fees,” stated US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“We have been urging airlines to ensure family seating without additional charges, and now we are seeing some airlines begin to make this sensible adjustment,” Buttigieg added.
“All airlines should make this change immediately, even as we work towards establishing a rule that requires it across the board.”
While most airlines claim they will do their best to accommodate seating requests, only some guarantee that children will sit next to an adult without a fee.
The family seating dashboard is designed to offer “a clear comparison of the services the airlines have committed to providing” and to prevent “confusing claims by airlines about family seating.”
Airlines receive a green checkmark on the dashboard if they allow families with children under 13 to sit together for free.
The DoT guidelines state that “to receive a green check on the dashboard, an airline must guarantee that parents can sit next to children aged 13 and younger for free, provided adjacent seats are available at the time of booking.”
This guarantee must be included in an airline’s customer service plan to ensure it is enforceable by the DoT if the airline fails to meet the commitment. In August, the DoT introduced a similar dashboard detailing airline accommodations for delays and cancellations.
Despite some airlines specifying benefits in their fine print, this initiative prompted 10 airlines to explicitly guarantee meals and rebooking services.
In February, Democratic senators introduced the Families Fly Together Act, which would mandate that all airlines seat children under 13 next to an accompanying adult without an additional fee.
President Biden also criticized airlines in his State of the Union address, stating, “airlines can’t treat your child like a piece of baggage.”
