Depending on their age and temperament, flying with children can sometimes be tough for parents. How many times has someone shot you a meek smile and apologized while their baby has a tantrum on the plane?
But now life has gotten just a bit easier for parents, as Frontier (ULCC) has introduced a new policy in which at least one parent will automatically be seated with any children under the age of 12 that they are traveling with.
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Like many budget airlines, Frontier offers cheap tickets, and then makes money by charging for pretty much everything else, such as checking bags.
But like many budget airlines, it makes a good deal of extra money by charging for assigned seats. (Passengers have the option of not paying extra for this and just sitting wherever they get assigned.)
Frontier tends to charge an average of $36 per seat assignment, according to Nerd Wallet. But thanks to a system upgrade, the airline will now automatically assign adjacent seats for children, starting in early March.
The White House Wants Fewer Fees
In his State of the Union address and other public events, President Biden announced that the White House intends to crack down on so-called "junk fees," which include hidden or excessive charges from hotel companies, internet service providers, and Ticketmaster, amongst other targets.
Biden took a swing at the airline industry during his speech, calling out the extra charge some airlines impose for parents that want to make sure they sit with their children.
"Americans are tired of being played for suckers," he said. "Baggage fees are bad enough—airlines can’t treat your child like a piece of baggage."
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The Airline Industry Responds
President Biden introduced the Junk Fee Prevention Act this month, but Frontier has made it known they were already planning on adjusting this one unpopular fee before the White House got involved.
"We recognize the importance of seating children next to an adult with whom they are traveling," Daniel Shurz, senior vice president, commercial at Frontier Airlines said in a statement. "Since last October, we have been doubling down on our efforts and further enhancing our system for ensuring a parent is seated with any children under the age of 14 in their family group."
