UK scraps airline fees for parents sitting with children

Airlines will be required to seat children under the age of 14 with a parent or accompanying adult free of charge, under government plans announced on 2 October to scrap rip-off flying fees.

Parents should not feel pressured to pay extra simply to sit beside their child, the government said — currently a parent and child can be charged up to £104 on a return journey. Passengers will also be able to correct simple name errors on bookings for free, ending charges of up to £40 for minor mistakes.

The government is also working with airlines and trade unions on a new system for sharing information on persistently disruptive passengers, after more than 1,000 serious incidents were logged in 2025, including a mid-air brawl that forced a diversion.

“Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple,” Prime Minister Andy Burnham said. “People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I’m putting a stop to them.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called the reforms “another everyday fix to help put money back in people’s pockets”. The changes, to be delivered following Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill, land a day after a VAT cut on electricity bills kicked in, saving households £45.