Biden administration proposes new rule banning airlines from charging parents extra fees for their kids to sit next to them

White House officials say their “fee-free family seating” proposal could potentially save parents up to $200 per round trip flight.

Airlines would no longer be allowed to charge parents extra fees for their kids to be seated next to them under a new rule proposed by the Biden administration. White House officials say their “fee-free family seating” proposal could potentially save parents up to $200 per round trip flight. “Families don’t need any additional stresses or costs when flying on top of how demanding it can be to be a parent flying with your kids,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters when announcing the proposed rule. Buttigieg said, “The idea that parents ought to be seated next to their own children on a flight is common sense and also seems like something that ought to be standard practice.” Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard echoed that sentiment, saying, “No parent should have to pay a fee to sit with their child when they fly. It’s just that simple. Today’s ban on family seating fees could save a family of four as much as $200 per round trip. That might not matter much to wealthy Americans, but it could be the deciding factor on whether to take a family trip for working Americans.” The move is one that President Joe Biden himself had previewed in his 2023 State of the Union address as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to protect consumers from having to pay “junk” fees. “We’ll cap service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all fees upfront. And we’ll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together,” Biden said in 2023. “Baggage fees are bad enough — they can’t just treat your child like a piece of luggage.”