The US Department of Transportation is proposing a brand new regulation that Flight ban for airlines to demand more from parents to look after their young children.
Under the proposal released Thursday, U.S. and foreign airlines can be required to permit children ages 13 and younger to sit down next to their parents or accompanying adult at no cost.
If no adjoining seats can be found when a parent books a flight, airlines must give families the selection of a full refund or waiting to see if a seat becomes available. If no seats can be found before other passengers board, airlines must give families the choice to rebook on the following flight with available adjoining seats, freed from charge.
The Biden administration estimates that this policy could save a family of 4 as much as $200 in seat fees for a round-trip flight.
“Flying with children is complicated enough without having to worry about this,” said US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg identified that 4 airlines – Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue – already guarantee that children under 13 can sit next to an accompanying adult at no cost.
Congress authorized the Department of Transportation to propose a rule prohibiting family seat fees as a part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Actwhich President Joe Biden signed in May.
The law also imposes higher penalties on airlines that violate consumer protection laws and requires the Department of Transportation to publish a chart so that customers can compare seat sizes on different airlines.
The department will accept comments on the proposed family seating rule over the following 60 days before issuing a final rule.
The airlines are fighting back against the Biden administration’s campaign to abolish the so-called “Junk fees.”
In April, the federal government adopt a final regulation Require airlines to mechanically provide money refunds for cancelled or delayed flights and to higher disclose baggage or cancellation fees.
Airlines have filed suit and earlier this week a three-judge panel of the fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this rule is temporarily blocked on the grounds that the rule “likely exceeds the authority of the agency.” The judges granted a request by the airlines to remain the rule while their lawsuit is heard.
When asked whether the family seat rule could face the identical fate, Buttigieg identified that the Transportation Department also has the support of Congress, which approved the rule.
“We trust that any rule we propose is well-founded by our agencies,” Buttigieg said during a conference call to debate the family residence rule.
