Airlines to scrap child seating fees and name change charges
New government measures aim to reduce costs for families and improve passenger experience on UK flights.
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The central claim is attributed to the Department for Transport and quotes the Prime Minister and Transport Secretary.
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The article is a press release with minimal added reporting, lacking quotes from affected parties or details on implementation.
Context, balance and separation of fact from comment. Higher is better.
The headline and language use strong, positive framing that exaggerates the impact and immediacy of the changes.
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Airlines operating in the UK will soon be required to seat children under the age of 14 with a parent or accompanying adult without levying additional charges. This measure, announced by the Department for Transport, aims to ease financial pressure on families. Currently, parents could face charges of up to £104 for a return journey simply to sit next to their child. The government stated that passengers should not be compelled to pay extra for this basic requirement.
In addition to child seating arrangements, passengers will benefit from increased flexibility in correcting simple name errors on flight bookings. This will eliminate charges, which could amount to £40, for minor mistakes or administrative adjustments. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the existing charges as a 'rip-off' and stated that these changes are part of a series of 'everyday fixes' designed to address small irritations that cost people money and time.
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Tackling disruptive passengers
The government is also collaborating with airlines and trade unions to establish a new system for sharing information about persistently disruptive passengers. In 2025, airlines recorded over 1,000 serious incidents involving disruptive behaviour, including a mid-air altercation that led to a flight diversion. The proposed system will help identify such individuals more easily, enhancing safety for both passengers and crew, and enabling airlines to enforce bans more effectively.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander emphasised that these reforms are intended to provide consistency across all airlines operating in the UK, ensuring passengers are protected from unnecessary charges and disruptive behaviour. She stated that the changes would help put money back into people's pockets and provide households with more financial breathing room.
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It’s clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to sit together. Airlines that have separated families are putting profit ahead of passenger peace of mind.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, welcomed the government's action, noting that the consumer group had successfully pressured many airlines to drop child seating fees over the past decade. He described the new regulations as a positive step in outlawing these charges and providing greater flexibility for amending booking errors, thereby protecting consumers from unwarranted expenses. The changes are expected to align UK rules more closely with European Union regulations, offering passengers greater certainty.
What happens next
The reforms are scheduled to be implemented following the Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill. The Department for Transport has engaged with the industry to ensure a swift and fair rollout of the new regulations.
Questions this report answers
+Will parents have to pay to sit with their children on flights?
No, airlines will be legally required to seat children under 14 with a parent or accompanying adult free of charge. This change is part of new government regulations designed to prevent airlines from charging extra for families to sit together.
+Can I still be charged for correcting a name on my booking?
Passengers will be given greater flexibility to correct simple name errors on bookings for free. This aims to end charges for minor mistakes or administrative tweaks, which could previously cost up to £40.
+When will these changes come into effect?
The changes will be delivered following Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill. The government is working with the industry to ensure these new regulations are implemented swiftly and fairly.
WE FILE
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The London Travel Desk assembled this report from the outlets listed below. Language-model drafting is reviewed under human editorial supervision, with scoring notes and corrections kept visible.
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