UK moves to ban airline seat charges for parents and children
The UK government plans new powers under the Civil Aviation Bill to stop airlines charging parents for sitting next to children under 14, currently costing up to £104.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- The UK government plans to ban airlines from charging fees for parents to sit next to children under 14.
- Current charges to secure adjacent seats for a parent and child can reach up to £104 on a return trip.
- Admin fees for minor booking corrections, costing up to £40, are also targeted for removal.
- New information-sharing systems will be introduced to crack down on persistently disruptive passengers.
The UK government is set to ensure that parents will no longer face extra charges to sit next to their children on commercial flights, provided new legislative powers win approval in Parliament. If the Civil Aviation Bill is successfully passed by MPs, the Department for Transport will launch a consultation process aimed at abolishing any fees associated with seating children under the age of 14 adjacent to their accompanying adults, as well as eliminating charges for correcting minor booking errors.
While acknowledging that most UK-based airlines already provide protections against hidden costs, government officials emphasized that the proposed reforms are designed to enforce greater consistency across all carriers operating within the country. According to Department for Transport figures, an arrangement to guarantee adjacent seating can currently cost a parent and child up to £104 on a standard return journey.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the proposed rule changes form a broader government crackdown on minor, cumulative charges that pile up when families organize holiday trips. The department noted that minor administrative tweaks, such as correcting a misspelled passenger name on a booking form, can currently cost travelers as much as £40.
"Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to sit next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error."
Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Rory Boland, editor of the consumer magazine Which? Travel, criticized current practices by stating it is clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to secure seats together. He added that carriers separating families are prioritizing corporate profit ahead of passenger peace of mind.
This regulatory push highlights growing governmental scrutiny over airline ancillary revenue models. Fees for seat selection and minor ticket modifications have historically served as crucial income streams allowing airlines to advertise lower base fares. Mandating free seating for families and removing correction penalties could force carriers to restructure their pricing strategies or shift revenue collection elsewhere. Meanwhile, incorporating enhanced data-sharing protocols to handle disruptive passengers addresses a rising operational concern, though lawmakers will need to balance safety enforcement with passenger privacy safeguards.
In response, trade body Airlines UK expressed surprise at the announcement, maintaining that British carriers already allow minor name corrections free of charge and adhere to existing regulatory guidance regarding children under 12. However, the organization welcomed the government's separate commitment to cracking down severely on disruptive behavior.
The regulatory changes are scheduled to take effect following the Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill. Government ministers reportedly intend to implement these consumer protection reforms ahead of the start of next year's summer holiday season.
Source: BBC Politics
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