Seat selection fees are one of the travel industry's most frustrating money grabs.
When you book a basic economy ticket, you often don't get to choose your seat — which means if you’re travelling with your child, they could end up three rows behind you, sitting next to a stranger.
Imagine you check in and realize this seating arrangement, and the airline agent says you and your child can sit together — but only if you pay a seat change fee. Seems pretty unfair, right?
Before you pull out your wallet, know that depending on which airline you’re flying, you may not have to pay anything at all.
The DOT Airline Family Seating Dashboard
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) encourages airlines to formally commit to seating children aged 13 and under next to an accompanying adult at no extra charge — regardless of what type of ticket you bought.
Unfortunately, not all U.S. airlines have agreed to this, but you can check which ones have on the DOT’s Airline Family Seating Dashboard.
If you're at the counter and an agent from one of the committed airlines tries to charge you, you can reference this dashboard as proof of their promise.
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Which Airlines Have Committed (And Which Haven't)?
The airlines that have officially committed to fee-free family seating are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, and JetBlue.
If you're flying one of these carriers with a child 13 or under, they’ll sit you together for free.
The airlines that have not made this commitment are Allegiant, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, and United. That doesn't automatically mean they'll separate you — but it does mean they haven't promised they won't, and you have less ground to stand on if they try to charge you.
What’s the fine print?
The promise to sit you together applies when:
- The child and adult are on the same reservation.
- Adjacent seats are available in your class of service at the time of booking.
- The aircraft isn't swapped out for a smaller one.
- You either select seats for your whole reservation or skip seat selection entirely.
- The seat layout works for seating children next to the adult.
If your flight checks those boxes, the airline is obligated to seat you together, at no extra cost, no later than the day before your flight.
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Tips for Flying with Kids
Here's what the DOT recommends for giving your family the best shot at sitting together, even if you’re flying with one of the airlines that hasn’t committed to fee-free family seating.
Before you book
Book your tickets as early as possible — the earlier you book, the more likely you are to find seats next to each other.
Also, make sure all passengers are on the same reservation, since airlines only know travelers belong to one party if they share a reservation record. If they have this information, they can prioritize parents and children booked together when assigning seats.
After booking
If you didn't book directly with the airline, confirm your seat assignments with the airline as soon as possible before travel.
And if your family isn't able to get seats together, contact the airline directly to ask how they can help — even if they can't seat the whole family together, they may be able to ensure each child is next to an adult family member.
At the airport
Plan to arrive early on the day of your flight, as this gives your family and the airline more time to sort out any seating issues.
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TL;DR: How to Sit Next to Your Child for Free
If you’re travelling with children, you may want to choose one of the airlines that have committed to family seating: Alaska, American, Frontier, Hawaiian, and JetBlue. This way, if you and your child are seated separately, you can be moved to sit together at no extra charge.
And if the airline pushes back, you can reference the DOT's Family Seating Dashboard or even file a formal complaint with the DOT.
