President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg are calling on major passenger carriers to drop family seating fees following American Airlines policy change.
On Tuesday, American Airlines updated its customer support plan saying that children under 15 years old will probably be seated adjoining to an accompanying adult at no additional cost, including Basic Economy fares so long as certain conditions are met.
Biden applauded the Dallas-based carrier’s move saying “nobody should need to pay extra to be seated with their kids.”
“Time for more airlines to follow suit,” he tweeted partially.
Buttigieg joined the president in commending the airline, claiming it was the primary U.S. carrier “to commit to putting this guarantee in its customer support plan.”
The move comes just weeks after United Airlines modified its policy, which takes effect this month, to permit families to be seated together more easily and freed from charge.
Pete Buttigieg agreed with President Biden for other airlines to follow suit by having children under 15 years old be seated adjoining to an accompanying adult at no additional cost.AP
The airline created a recent seat map feature to assist seat kids under 12 years old next to an adult of their party free of charge.
This includes customers who purchase basic economy tickets, the airline said.
Customers traveling with children already began to see more adjoining seat options immediately but the whole policy change will go into effect early this month, United said.
Biden commended American Airlines policy change, saying that “nobody should need to pay extra to be seated with their kids.” AP
Buttigieg also announced on Twitter that Frontier Airlines implemented an identical policy and that “now could be a very good time for other airlines to follow suit.”
Last July, the Transportation Department issued a notice that said carriers “do every thing of their power to be sure that children who’re age 13 or younger” are next to an adult of their party at no extra cost.
Airlines for America—an industry trade group representing the biggest U.S. carriers—previously noted that airlines “have all the time worked to accommodate customers who’re traveling together.
American Airlines’ customer support plan allows anyone under 15 years old to be seated next to an accompanying adult at no additional cost.AFP via Getty Images
Still Buttigieg said the Transportation Department is looking for to require that airlines guarantee families are in a position to sit together and is planning to publish a family seating dashboard to indicate which airlines guarantee families can sit together free of charge.
“A parent should give you the chance to sit down next to their child without paying extra fees, asking other passengers to swap seats, or facing a final minute scramble on the gate,” he tweeted.