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In the State of the Union earlier this month, President Joe Biden called out the service industry’s practice of charging “junk fees.”
“We’re making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is canceled or delayed,” Biden said. “And we’ll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together. Baggage fees are bad enough—they can’t just treat your child like a piece of luggage.”
In response, the Department of Transportation has proposed a new rule that requires airlines and online booking platforms to show the total price of a ticket upfront, including baggage and other fees. Additionally, one of the biggest changes in the rule is no longer needing to pay extra to sit with your kids. You can expect more airlines to become more family friendly in the near future.
Which airlines allow passengers to seat with their kids for free?
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Every airline has their own rules and fees. Before the State of the Union, more airlines charged non-frequent flyers fees to choose their seats in economy class, among other things—especially low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit. Here are the airlines that have changed their rules recently:
United Airlines
Starting in March, travelers booking with United will be able to sit their children next to them if they are under the age of 12. If there aren’t any adjacent seats available, passengers can rebook their flights for free. United’s chief customer office said customers can expect more family-friendly features to roll out this year.
Frontier Airlines
Frontier has also changed their policies on charging family’s fees to sit together: They now allow seating children with a parent at no additional charge. The new policy will allow children under the age of 14 to be seated automatically with at least one parent or guardian for free. The process will automatically happen before the check-in window opens.
Breeze Airways
Breeze Airways allowed families to sit together at no extra charge even before it was cool. The low-cost carrier airline also doesn’t charge fees for changing flights or cancelling. “Allowing families with young children to select seats together at no additional charge, even when they book our ‘Nice’ bundle, is something that sets us apart and demonstrates how much we care about our Guests,” Lukas Johnson, Breeze’s Chief Commercial Officer, told Yahoo.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines’ unique boarding process gives every passenger an A, B, or C group. Once on board, you choose any available seat. They have a “Family Boarding” program that helps children under 13 board with their parents.
