Senators send bipartisan letter to Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz with legislative language to ban family seating fees for inclusion in September package
Lawmakers look to FAA bill as an opportunity to support families: “Airlines should never be allowed to force parents to choose between paying more and being separated from their kids.”
Washington (June 7, 2023) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and JD Vance (R-Ohio), members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, sent a letter to Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, urging them to include a provision in the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prohibit family seating fees. In their letter, the senators included legislative language which would prohibit airlines from charging monetary fees for parents to sit with their children during a flight.
In their letter, the senators wrote, “Airlines should never be allowed to force parents to choose between paying more and being separated from their kids. In extreme circumstances, parents have found themselves assigned seats many rows away from their very young children — a serious safety risk for those kids and an injustice to those families. This practice must end. The 2023 reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides an important opportunity to support families by banning these fees.”
Senator Markey is a staunch advocate for consumers, from the streets to the sky. In January, he reintroduced the FAIR Fees Act, which would prohibit airlines from charging fees disproportionate to the cost of the service. In February, Senator Markey introduced the Families Fly Together Act, which would prohibit airlines from charging a fee for families to sit together on a flight. Last December, after Southwest Airlines cancelled 16,700 flights over the holidays, Senators Markey and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for the company to provide customers with a cash hardship payment, issue ticket refunds, and reimburse customers for secondary expenses. The two senators also led 15 of their colleagues in a letter demanding answers from Southwest Airlines for the holiday meltdown.
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