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[quote=Anonymous]After reading the thread about asking people to move their airline seat, I decided to start this new thread.  
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1250241.page

Some of the people in the prior thread were misinformed, and so I wanted to clarify a few things.  I am an airline employee who works on the topic of family seating, and so I perhaps have some information that may be useful to others.

1.	In 2024, Congress directed DOT to promulgate a new rulemaking to address family seating, for children ages 13 and under.  (See Section 516 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-63 (May 16, 2024).

SEC. 516. FAMILY SEATING.

“(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary [of the U.S. Department of Transportation] shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish a policy directing air carriers that assign seats, or allow individuals to select seats in advance of the date of departure of a flight, to sit each young child adjacent to an accompanying adult, to the greatest extent practicable, if adjacent seat assignments are available at any time after the ticket is issued for each young child and before the first passenger boards the flight.

“(b) PROHIBITION ON FEES.—The notice of proposed rulemaking described in subsection (a) shall include a provision that prohibits an air carrier from charging a fee, or imposing an additional cost beyond the ticket price of the additional seat, to seat each young child adjacent to an accompanying adult within the same class of service.”
https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr3935/BILLS-118hr3935enr.pdf

2.	On August 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a proposed rule “to ensure that U.S. and foreign air carriers allow young children to be seated adjacent to an accompanying adult on a flight at no additional cost.”  This would apply to children ages 13 and under.  DOT solicited comments on the proposed rule.  Comments were due on November 7, 2024.
file:///C:/Users/e109884/Downloads/DOT-OST-2024-0091-0204_content.pdf

3.	In the near future, DOT plans to finalize some version of its proposed rule.  With the change in administrations on January 20, 2025, this rule may be delayed.  But it has bi-partisan support from Congress, and so will likely be finalized in some form in 2025/2026.

4.	Once the rule is finalized, the airlines will require the airlines to seat a 13-and-under next to an accompanying adult 14-and-over.  This should help to avoid situations where families do not book seats together because they do not want to pay the seat fees.

5.	Families will still be able to choose to pay seat fees if they would like certain better seating (perhaps closer to the front of the plane) for their family.

6.	When there are no adjacent seats available on a particular flight, the airline will suggest that the family consider a later flight where adjacent seats are available.  At least under the proposed rule, airlines are not required to move people who already have a seat assignment.

7.	It’s possible that, due to irregular operations (such as weather), some families who were previously seated together may now be seated apart.  They may have chosen to take that particular flight in hopes that some people will be willing to move.  The family should ask the flight attendants for assistance in trying to get seated together (especially if the child is really young, like 8-and-under.)  I have found that there are usually enough kind people who are nice enough to move.

8.	[b]It’s not fair for pax to assume that a family with separate seats has not planned ahead. [/b] It’s possible that the family had to book last-minute due to a family emergency, for example.

9.	I have found that most people are pretty nice about switching seats to allow a young child to sit with an adult.  Of course, you are not required to move.  However, if you do so, you might feel as if you’ve done something nice for another person, which feels good.  Also, you should ask the airline to refund any seat fee that you have paid.  In my experience, that fee gets refunded quite quickly (and at most in 7 business days.)  You could even tack on a request for 1000 miles/points (for example). 😊

10.	Some airlines have already improved their family seating policies, in anticipation of the DOT Final Rule.  Check with your airline, even if you have to call.  Some will give you adjacent seats for 13-and-unders with an accompanying adult (14-and-over).

11.  Please be nice to the flight attendants, as they have a challenging job.  It makes the world a better place when we are all good to each other. 
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