Airlines must seat young children with a parent free of charge

New rules announced on 2 October end paid seat selection for parents flying with children under 14 and allow free correction of simple name errors.

Daily Alba · 2 October 2026 · 2 min read

Illustrative image of an empty row of aircraft seats; not a specific airline. Illustrative image, not a photograph of the reported event.

Airlines will be required to seat children under 14 next to a parent or accompanying adult at no extra cost, the Department for Transport announced on 2 October 2026.

The charges being scrapped

The government says a parent and child can currently be charged up to £104 on a return journey to sit together. Passengers will also be able to correct simple name mistakes on bookings for free, avoiding fees the department says can reach £40.

Disruptive passengers

Ministers say they are working with airlines and trade unions on a system for sharing information about persistently disruptive passengers, citing more than 1,000 serious incidents in 2025.

Timing

The government frames the change as help with the cost of living before next year’s summer holidays. The linked release sets out the detail.

Source & attribution: This original report is based on Department for Transport, published 2 October 2026. This is not independent on-the-ground reporting.

Airlines must seat young children with a parent free of charge

The charges being scrapped

Disruptive passengers

Timing

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