UK Scraps "Rip-Off" Charges for Families to Sit Together on Flights
Airlines will no longer be allowed to charge parents to sit next to their children under 14. Free correction of name errors also introduced.
The United Kingdom has announced that airlines will no longer be allowed to charge parents for guaranteeing seats next to their children. The new rules, which came into force on October 2, apply to children under the age of 14 travelling with a parent or accompanying adult.
Previously, a parent and child could pay up to £104 (€122) on a return journey simply to reserve seats side by side. Passengers will also be able to correct simple name errors in their bookings free of charge. Some airlines previously charged up to £40 (€47) for this.
"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," said UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. "That's why we're scrapping these unnecessary charges for all airlines – another everyday fix to help put money back in people's pockets and give households more breathing room."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has championed the change, was blunt: "Charging 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't right either." He added: "People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I'm putting a stop to them."
The reforms follow a Competition and Markets Authority investigation launched in June into Ryanair's policy of charging parents a "mandatory family seat" fee of around £8 each way to sit with children aged 2–11. Ryanair was the only major airline operating from the UK to impose such a charge. The airline subsequently changed its policy.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticised the government's announcement, claiming "no such extra fees exist" and calling it "typical political spin." An easyJet spokesperson similarly said the airline "already offer free changes for spelling mistakes and we have never forced parents and children to pay to sit together."
Consumer group Which? welcomed the move. "It's clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to sit together," said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel. "Airlines that have separated families are putting profit ahead of passenger peace of mind."
The changes are set to be delivered following Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill, with ministers aiming to implement them before next year's summer holidays. The move also brings UK rules closer to proposed EU air passenger rights legislation, which would require airlines to seat children under 14 with an accompanying adult free of charge.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com