"For many years, families have favored Southwest Airlines for its open seating policy, which allows travelers to choose their own seats in boarding order. But Southwest switched to assigned seating on January 27 after more than 50 years of flexible seating, joining virtually every other commercial airline. Moving forward, all Southwest passengers will have designated seats and board the plane accordingly."
"Concerns about families being separated on planes have grown so common that federal regulators have taken notice. In 2024, the Department of Transportation proposed a rule prohibiting US airlines from charging parents additional fees to sit next to children under 13. While that proposal has not yet become law, it highlights how significant the issue has become for travelers. For now, airline policies vary."
Group travel often faces logistical challenges, and confusing airline seating policies can worsen those challenges. Separation on flights is an inconvenience for adults and can be a crisis for families with young children or travelers with special needs. Southwest Airlines ended more than 50 years of open seating and implemented assigned seats on January 27, placing all passengers into designated seats and boarding order. The Department of Transportation proposed in 2024 to bar airlines from charging parents to sit next to children under 13. Airline family-seating guarantees vary: Alaska, American, Frontier, Hawaiian, and JetBlue guarantee free family seating; Allegiant, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, and United do not. Selecting seats during booking and assigning each passenger's seat helps ensure families sit together.
Read at Business Insider
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