{"id":7072263,"date":"2026-10-02T03:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T03:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072263"},"modified":"2026-10-02T03:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T03:02:12","slug":"uk-airlines-to-be-banned-from-charging-parents-to-sit-with-children-airline-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072263","title":{"rendered":"UK airlines to be banned from charging parents to sit with children | Airline industry"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Airlines will be blocked from charging parents extra to sit with their children on planes, according to government plans.<\/p>\n

The new rule would require airlines to seat passengers aged under 14 next to their parents or an accompanying adult free of charge. Passengers will also no longer need to pay to tweak the name on their flight booking if they need to correct a mistake.<\/p>\n

It is understood that ministers will try to introduce the changes before the start of next year\u2019s summer holidays. The prime minister, Andy Burnham<\/a>, has said the rule changes are part of a crackdown on the \u201clittle charges that add up\u201d when families plan their holidays.<\/p>\n

MPs are in the process of debating a new set of rules for travel companies, as the civil aviation (consumer protection and regulatory reform) bill makes its way through parliament. The proposed law will give ministers flexible power to set out passenger rights and the duties of airlines and airports.<\/p>\n

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Burnham said: \u201cCharging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple. And being hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn\u2019t right either.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I\u2019m putting a stop to them. This is what our everyday fixes are all about \u2013 giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out, waste their time and cost them money.\u201d<\/p>\n

An arrangement to sit together can currently cost a parent and child up to \u00a3104 on a return journey, according to the Department for Transport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: \u201cIt\u2019s clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to sit together. Airlines that have separated families are putting profit ahead of passenger peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Ryanair adjusted its family seating policy after an investigation was launched into the company charging parents to sit with their children on flights. The Irish operator previously required parents travelling with children aged between two and 11 to pay to reserve what was referred to as a mandatory family seat.<\/p>\n

Children were then allocated seats next to or near parents free of charge. The fee for a mandatory family seat was typically about \u00a38 each way, the UK Competition and Markets Authority watchdog found.<\/p>\n

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