London – UK to bar airlines from charging parents to sit together with their children

LONDON, October 2 /ATSH – AA/ – The United Kingdom government announced on Friday plans to require airlines to seat children under 14 with a parent or an accompanying adult free of charge, in a move aimed at easing travel costs for families.

Under the new plans, airlines operating in the United Kingdom will also have to allow passengers to correct simple name mistakes in bookings free of charge.

The government said families can currently face fees of up to £104 (nearly $140) for a return trip to sit next to their children, while minor booking corrections can cost passengers up to 40 pounds.

“Charging parents just to sit with their children is a clear and simple rip-off. And being hit with a high fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form is not fair either,” Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement on Friday.

“People are fed up with these small charges that add up, so I am stopping them,” he added.

The measures are part of the government’s broader “everyday fixes” programme, which it says aims to reduce costs and address consumer complaints.

The government also said it is working with airlines and unions to create a system for sharing information about persistently disruptive passengers.

More than 1,000 serious disruptive passenger incidents were recorded by airlines in 2025, according to the government.

It said the new system will help airlines identify repeat offenders and take decisions on extending airline bans.

The reforms are expected to provide greater consistency in passenger protection across airlines operating in the United Kingdom.

The announcement came a day after a cut in value added tax on electricity bills took effect, which the government said would save families an additional £45.