United, Other Carriers Announce Changes to Family Seating Policies

During his State of the Union address on Feb. 3, President Joe Biden announced the federal government’s plan to curb what he characterized as excess fees charged by airlines to consumers, focusing on parents not being able to sit with their children without paying a seat-selection fee.

“Baggage fees are bad enough,” Biden said in his address to the nation. “They can’t just treat your children like a piece of luggage.”

United Airlines was the first major carrier to make changes to its family seating poli