United Airlines unveiled its new family seating policy on Monday, eliminating extra charges for families with children under 12 who want to sit together.
The new policy makes it easier for families to sit together without evoking additional fees if the seats are already open, and it will allow families to rebook the entire flight for free if there are no adjacent seats open, the airline said. United had previously charged people for selecting certain seats ahead of the flight, regardless of age.
BUTTIGIEG BLUNDERS: THREE TIMES PETE HAS CRASHED AS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
The change comes after President Joe Biden called out airlines for adding extra fees to flights during his State of the Union address earlier this month.
“We’ll prohibit airlines from charging $50 roundtrip for a family just to be able to sit together,” Biden said in his speech. “Baggage fees are bad enough. Airlines can’t treat your child like a piece of baggage.”
The move also comes less than a year after the Transportation Department urged airlines to do “everything in their power to ensure that children who are age 13 or younger” are next to an adult on flights.
“Although the department receives a low number of complaints from consumers about family seating, there continue to be complaints of instances where young children, including a child as young as 11 months, are not seated next to an accompanying adult,” the department said at the time, according to Fox Business.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The updated policy will roll out in March, but customers can start seeing the change immediately, according to the airline. United said it plans on “rolling out [even] more family-friendly features this year.”
