The Government has announced plans to stop airlines charging extra for children under 14 to sit with a parent or accompanying adult, a change it says could save a parent and child up to £104 on a return journey.
But the new rule is not in force yet, so families booking flights now still need to follow their airline’s current seating policy.
Simple name-correction fees are also set to be scrapped under the plans.
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What is changing?
Under the proposals, airlines operating in the UK would have to seat children under 14 with a parent or accompanying adult without charging extra just to keep them together.
The Government’s announcement says one parent and one child can currently face charges of up to £104 on a return journey to reserve seats together.
Passengers would also get greater freedom to correct simple mistakes in names on flight bookings without paying a fee.
The Department for Transport says charges for minor mistakes or admin changes can currently reach as much as £40.
These are examples of the highest charges highlighted by the Government. They are not standard fees that every family or airline currently pays.
Are the new airline rules already in force?
No.
This is the most important part of the announcement if you are booking a holiday now.
You may see GOV.UK referring to the rules as applying “from 2 October 2026”, but the detailed announcement confirms the changes are still to be delivered following Royal Assent.
Royal Assent is the final step that turns a Bill passed by Parliament into law.
That has not happened yet.
The Civil Aviation Bill is still going through Parliament, with its Commons committee stage due to begin on 20 October 2026.
So parents do not have a new legal right to free family seating from 2 October 2026.
When could the new rules start?
The Government says the changes are intended to help families in time for next year’s summer holidays.
However, no exact start date has been announced.
The Government says the changes are set to be delivered following Royal Assent, so families should not assume the new rules apply simply because they are booking a flight for next year.
We’ll update this article when a firm start date is confirmed.
Do parents booking flights now still need to pay for seats?
It depends on the airline.
Paying to choose specific seats and paying simply to make sure a young child sits with an adult are not always the same thing.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s current guidance says many airlines charge passengers to choose where they sit.
It also says airlines should aim to seat children under 12 in the same row as their accompanying adult, or no more than one row or aisle away.
So don’t automatically pay for seat selection just because you’re travelling with children.
Check your airline’s family seating policy first. You may find that an adult and child will already be seated together, or close together, without paying to choose specific seats.
If you want particular seats, such as a window seat, extra legroom or a certain row, you may still need to pay.
How much could families save?
For families who currently face a charge, the saving could be noticeable.
The Government’s example says one parent and one child could currently face charges of up to £104 on a return journey to reserve seats together.
Removing that cost could leave an extra £104 in the holiday budget.
There could also be a saving if someone makes a simple mistake when entering a passenger’s name. The Government says these corrections can currently cost as much as £40.
However, these are upper-end examples rather than guaranteed savings for everyone.
Some families may save less, or nothing at all, if their airline already seats young children with an adult without charging for family seating.
What about simple name corrections?
The planned changes would also stop airlines charging passengers to correct simple name mistakes on bookings.
That could include a spelling error or another minor mistake made when entering passenger details.
The Government’s announcement only refers to simple name errors and minor mistakes. It does not say that transferring a ticket to a completely different passenger will become free.
And, just like the family seating change, this new protection has not started yet.
If you are booking now, double-check every passenger’s details against their passport before paying.
If you have already spotted an error, contact the airline and check its current policy rather than assuming the correction is now free.
How to avoid unnecessary flight costs now
Until the new rules take effect, it is worth checking the full cost of a flight rather than looking at the headline fare alone.
Seat reservations, baggage, airport parking and other extras can quickly push up the final price.
We’ve put together seven budget travel hacks that can help you spend less before and during your trip.
For family seating specifically, check what your airline already promises before paying extra.
You may find that paying for seat selection is optional unless you want to choose exactly where you sit.
The bottom line
The Government plans to stop airlines charging parents extra simply to sit with children under 14, while simple name-correction fees are also set to go.
For some families, that could eventually mean savings of up to £104 on return seating costs, as well as avoiding a separate fee for fixing a minor booking mistake.
But the planned legal changes are not in force yet.
The legislation is still going through Parliament and no exact start date has been confirmed.
If you are booking flights now, check the airline’s existing family seating rules before paying for seats and make sure every passenger’s name is entered correctly.
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