UK government bans airline fees for parents sitting with children under 14
The government announced new rules that forbid airlines from charging parents to sit with children under 14 and allow free correction of simple booking name errors.
Today the government unveiled regulations that will prohibit airlines from levying fees on parents who need to sit next to children under 14, mandating free seating for the child with an adult. The rules also grant travelers the right to correct simple booking errors, like misspelled names, without incurring a charge. The move targets practices highlighted by the Competition Markets Authority’s investigation of Ryanair’s former £8 mandatory family seat fee, which the carrier has since dropped.
Existing policies at carriers such as British Airways and EasyJet already provide free seating for younger children, but the new law standardises the requirement across all airlines. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the changes are part of broader efforts to give households breathing room, and consumer watchdog Which? Travel praised the step as ending an unfair “rip-off”. The reforms are presented as a consumer-friendly “everyday fix” to reduce hidden travel costs.
Why it matters
It stops hidden airline charges that burden families and standardises consumer protections across all carriers.
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