New DOT dashboard shows which airlines seat families together for free

The Transportation Department on Monday debuted a new dashboard that shows families which airlines guarantee they can sit together without paying extra fees, as the Biden Administration takes steps to crack down on so-called "junk fees." 

The new tool highlights which airlines seat families with young children together at no extra cost, and those airlines that could force families to pay extra. 

American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines are the first U.S. airlines to eliminate such fees by writing the guarantee into their customer service plans, the DOT said Monday. Junk fees are a big money generator for airlines, hotels and other industries, but they can drive up costs far beyond what consumers had expected to pay.