Passengers wearing protective masks are seen aboard before a JetBlue flight to London at JFK International Airport within the Queens borough of Latest York City, August 11, 2021.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
The Biden administration is asking Congress to pass laws that might ban airlines from charging fees for families who’re traveling with children under the age of 14 to take a seat together, its latest try to crack down on add-on charges for consumers, the Transportation Department said Monday.
“Upon review of the airlines’ seating policies, DOT stays concerned that airlines’ policies don’t guarantee adjoining seats for young children traveling with a member of the family and that airlines don’t guarantee the adjoining seating at no additional cost,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
President Joe Biden has vowed to stamp out so-called junk fees across industries including hotels, airlines and banks.
Earlier this month, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier Airlines said they would come with family seating guarantees in customer support plans, violations of which could end in DOT fines. United Airlines last month said it might give families traveling with children access to seats that normally cost extra on the time of booking.
The Biden administration’s draft laws calls for refunds to passengers who cannot get adjoining seats for youngsters of their party.
The Transportation Department is working on a rule to ensure family seating but said since the “rulemaking process may be lengthy, the President and DOT are calling on Congress to do that immediately.” Â
