In a move that may be a bow to pressure from President Biden and members of Congress, United and Frontier have both announced changes that will mean children flying with their families will be seated with at least one parent at no extra charge. It seems likely that other airlines will follow.
As airlines have increasingly charged extra fees for advance seat selection, it has meant that families either had to pay serious fees to guarantee sitting with their children, or just hope that they would get adjoining seats at flight time. The practice came under sharp attack in the President's State of the Union message earlier this month.
The two airlines have some differences in their new policies, however. At United, it applies to children 12 and under; at Frontier the line is drawn at 14. United's policy applies to Economy and Basic Economy; premium cabins including first, business and Economy Plus are excluded, perhaps on the idea that passengers paying those rates can pay for seat assignments.
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