The department found that only a very small amount of the complaints filed by passengers were related to such seating woes. In just three-quarters of 2022, major airlines made just under $5 billion in baggage fees alone, according to federal financial records the companies have to file.ĭuring the Trump administration, the Transportation Department was required by Congress to study the extent of the family seating situation. It's not clear how much revenue the extra family-related fees generate, but it likely pales in comparison to other categories. Fees now make up more than 20% of the total revenue US airlines generate. As Nerd Wallet reported last year, the rise of budget airlines forced the traditional big names to generate more of their bottom line from what is officially known as ancillary fees. In the meantime, Biden has also called on Congress to pass a law banning the list of junk fees.Īirlines have become reliant on extra fees Airlines are allowed to condition their guarantees on seating availability and how the tickets were originally booked.īuttigieg has pledged that the department will also go through the lengthy federal rulemaking process to formally institute a ban. The Biden administration wants airlines to explicitly guarantee for a child 13-and-under with an accompanying adult with no additional costs.
But the department has made it clear airlines will need to do more than simply make assurances. A bill to address it is in the works, but prospects are uncertainĪirlines that don't currently meet the DOT's preferred standard, such as Delta, have said they will work with families to ensure they can sit together. "When you charge a seat reservation fee to passengers, and you require someone who wants to sit next to their 13-year-old child to pay that seat reservation fee, that is a family seating fee whether they specifically call it that or not that's what it ends up being for travelers," John Breyault, a vice president at the advocacy group the National Consumers League, told Insider. "Each carrier has established individual policies, and all make every effort to ensure families sit together."Ĭonsumer advocates caution that such a distinction is merely semantic, and promises alone won't fix the issue. The big four airlines "already work to accommodate customers who are traveling together, especially those traveling with children, and will continue to do so," Hannah Walden, a spokesperson for Airlines for America, said in a statement to Insider. "It will also give them notice if they don't have that feature that they are probably going to have to pay extra or have family members separated."Īirlines for America, an industry lobbying arm that counts the big four, America, Delta, Southwest, and United, among its members, previously pointed out that none of its members explicitly charge a family seating fee. "It means the passenger can choose airlines where this is important," Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights, a passenger-focused non-profit, told Insider. No airline explicitly imposes a "family seating fee," but consumer advocates have complained for years about how that's exactly what's happening. It often indicates a user profile.Īirlines can effectively charge more for parents to travel with their kids by imposing additional fees on seat selections or making it difficult to book tickets without additional hurdles.
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