The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a new rule that would require airlines to seat parents next to their young children for free.
The proposal would prevent airlines from charging fees for parents to sit next to their children under 13. If adjacent seats are not available, airlines will be required to offer a full refund or free rebooking.
“The idea that parents should sit next to their children on a flight is common sense and also seems like something that should be standard practice,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a conference call with reporters on Monday. .
“As someone who has personally experienced flying with young children, as my husband and I have taken our two-year-old twins on trips many times, families don’t need any added stress or cost when flying,” he added.
Seat fees can increase the cost of air travel for families with children, who may be too young to feed themselves or go to the bathroom alone, noted a Department of Transportation press release.
Other passengers may also be asked to give up prepaid seats to accommodate families.
“When these scenarios arise, it’s not fair to anyone on board — the parents, the children, the other passengers — and it also puts the crew on board in a difficult position,” Buttigieg said.
The proposal follows similar efforts by the Biden administration to crack down on so-called “unwanted fees” in the airline industry.
In April, the Department of Transportation finalized two rules that require airlines to offer automatic refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights and share fees for checked or carry-on bags and changing or early cancellation of reservations.
However, in May, a coalition of major airlines sued the administration over the fee disclosure rule, arguing that it would confuse customers who would be inundated with information during the purchasing process.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the rule on Monday, concluding that it likely exceeded the agency’s authority and would “irreparably harm” airlines.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
