Move to stop charges for parents to sit by children on flights

The government says it will ensure parents cannot be charged for sitting next to their children on planes if new powers get approval in Parliament.

UK airlines said they adhered to existing rules.

If the Civil Aviation Bill gets approved by MPs, the department for transport says it will consult on scrapping any charges for being seated next to children under the age of 14 or correcting minor errors on flight bookings.

While acknowledging most UK airlines already offer protections against hidden costs, the government said its proposed reforms would provide greater consistency across all airlines operating in the country.

Trade body Airlines UK said it was surprised to see the announcement, adding that UK airlines already allow minor name corrections free of charge. They also follow the regulator's current guidance on seating children under 12 with their accompanying adult.

The Department for Transport says an arrangement to sit together can currently cost a parent and child up to £104 on a return journey.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the proposed rule changes are part of a crackdown on the "little charges that add up" when families plan their holiday trips.

"Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple," he added, and being "hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn't right either".

The department says minor mistakes or admin tweaks, such as correcting a name on a booking form, can cost passengers up to £40.

It added that the new rules were the "latest example of the Prime Minister's series of 'everyday fixes' to tackle the irritations that make life difficult and hit people's wallets".

"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 Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said it was "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," he was quoted as saying by the Press Association.