UK plans to end airline fees for parents sitting with children
UK plans would end fees for children under 14 to sit with a parent on flights. Here is which bill is involved and why the change has not started.
The UK government plans to stop airlines charging families extra for children under 14 to sit beside a parent or accompanying adult. The proposed protection would cover airlines operating in the UK, including overseas carriers serving the UK market.
Announced on 1 October 2026, the plan is intended to remove the pressure on parents to pay an additional seating fee simply to stay beside their child. It has not taken effect, and there is currently no confirmed start date.
Which law would bring in the change?
The plans are linked to the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, which is progressing through the UK Parliament at Westminster. A bill is a proposed law that MPs and members of the House of Lords examine before it can become an Act of Parliament.
This is a government policy proposal, rather than a court judgment ordering airlines to change their charges. The bill would give ministers powers to introduce and amend air passenger protections through further regulations.
The bill reached its second reading in the House of Commons on 9 September. It has since been sent to a committee of MPs for detailed scrutiny, with that committee expected to report by 22 October.
The government says the changes would be delivered after Royal Assent, the King’s formal approval that turns a bill into law. That does not mean families should assume the seating requirement will start immediately when that approval is given.
What would change for families?
The proposed requirement would mean a child under 14 could sit with a parent or accompanying adult without an extra seating charge. Its purpose is to protect that arrangement, rather than promise every passenger free choice of any seat on the aircraft.
Current passenger guidance says airlines should aim to seat children under 12 in the same row as their accompanying adult. If that is not possible, they should be no more than one row or an aisle away.
For families, that difference matters because being seated nearby does not necessarily mean being directly beside a child. The new proposal also covers children aged 12 and 13.
When would the new rules start?
No implementation date is confirmed. An incorrect date was removed from the government announcement on 2 October, so parents should continue checking their airline’s existing family seating arrangements when booking.
The wider plans also include free corrections for simple name mistakes on flight bookings. That concerns minor errors, rather than a general right to change the person travelling.
