Move to end charges for parents to sit by children on flights

Move to end charges for parents to sit by children on flights The authorities say they will guarantee parents will not be charged for sitting next to their children on planes, provided the caller powers gain parliamentary support. UK airlines said they adhered to existing rules. If the Civil Aviation Bill receives approval from MPs, the Department for Transport says it will consult on scrapping any fees for seating children under the age of 14 alongside an accompanying adult or for correcting insignificant errors on flight bookings. While acknowledging that most UK airlines already offer protections against hidden costs, the government said its proposed reforms would deliver greater consistency across all carriers operating in the country. Trade association Airlines UK said it was amazed by the announcement, noting that UK airlines already permit minor name corrections free of charge and already follow the regulator’s existing guidance on seating children under 12 with their accompanying adult. The Department for Transport says an amount to be … currently costs a parent and child up to £104 on a return journey. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the proposed regulation changes are part of a crackdown on the “little charges that add up” when families plan their vacation trips. He added, “Charging parents just to be with their children is simply a rip‑off, plain and simple,” and being “hit with a hefty interest for a elementary spelling mistake on a booking form isn't close either.” The department says insignificant mistakes or admin tweaks, such as correcting a name on a booking form, can cost passengers up to £40. It added that the new rules were the “latest illustration of the Prime Minister's bid of 'everyday fixes' to tackle the irritations that make life hard and hit people's wallets.” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said, “Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to be next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error.” Rory Boland, executive of user magazine Which? Travel, said it was “clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as 3 to pay an extra interest just to be together.” He was quoted by the Press Association as saying, “Airlines that have separated families are putting net up of passenger bid of mind.”