Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is championing a new bill aimed at making air travel more family-friendly, especially ahead of what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) anticipates to be the busiest holiday travel season on record. Schumer introduced the Families Fly Together Act at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport on Monday, which proposes significant changes to current airline seating policies for families.
The proposed federal legislation is designed to ensure that children aged 13 and under can sit next to a family member on flights without incurring additional costs beyond the base ticket price. This move comes in response to the growing concerns over so-called “junk fees” that airlines charge, which Schumer criticized as deceptive, expensive, and a source of unnecessary stress for traveling families. The bill’s aim is to alleviate the burden on parents who often face difficulties securing adjacent seats for their children without paying extra fees.
Schumer emphasized the need for airlines to eliminate these charges, stating that parents should not have to negotiate seating arrangements or engage in a “game of musical chairs” on flights. He noted that while he has been advocating for the removal of these fees for years, earlier in the year, four out of the ten major domestic airlines voluntarily agreed to change their policies regarding family seating. The Families Fly Together Act represents a broader effort to standardize these practices across the airline industry, ensuring a more accommodating and stress-free travel experience for families.
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