Congressman Nadler: Families That Fly Together Should Be Seated Together

(photo by caribb via flickr)

(UPDATED 3:37) Families who travel by plane have probably had the experience of being told they can't be seated together -- and that their only recourse is to hope their fellow passengers are willing to switch seats.

It's disconcerting -- and becoming more common. Because as airlines ramp up policies that charge additional fees for aisle and window seats, it's getting harder for people to request seats together without paying a premium (as AP reported earlier this year.)

This tension has led to headlines like "Do Airlines Hate Families?" (One answer to that question, from the Los Angeles Times, is no -- but they "love revenue more.")

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has proposed legislation called the Families Flying Together Act of 2012. It would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to direct each carrier to “establish a policy to ensure, to the extent practicable, that a family that purchases tickets for a flight with that air carrier is seated together during that flight; and (2) make the policy…available to the public on an appropriate Internet Web site of the air carrier."

According to an emailed statement, Nadler said “air travel is complicated and expensive enough for families without adding new stresses. Families should not be stuck paying hidden fees, or buying ‘premium’ seats, simply because they wish to be seated together on crowded flights.  It is positively absurd to expect a two or three-year-old to sit unattended, next to strangers, on an airplane.  It is up to air carriers to make their seating policies clear and easily accessible to the public.”

But Airlines for America, an industry lobbying group, called the legislation unnecessary. Steve Lott, the group's VP, said "airlines have always worked cooperatively with their customers to seat parties, including those traveling with children, together. The great news for consumers and families is that the airline industry is hugely competitive, and customers have choices of airlines and different products within airlines." He added: "As with all other products and industries, it is the market that can—and should—determine how air travel is priced, not the government.”