A recent flight incident has ignited a discussion online about whether airlines should ensure that parents and their infants sit together. This all started with a passenger who shared that his wife and two young children had been assigned seats in different rows on a Southwest Airlines flight.
The family opted not to pay for seat reservations, which is why they found themselves separated. The post highlighted a specific concern: the couple had indicated they were traveling with children when they booked their flights, yet their 2-year-old was placed in a separate row away from the family.
This went viral, with many users criticizing the father for not securing a reserved seat. One commenter noted, “If it’s so cheap that you refuse to pay for a seat, why didn’t you just put your 2-year-old in your lap?” Another added, “Next time, let’s buy seats together. It’s so easy.”
Some users pointed out how family separations can put pressure on other passengers to switch seats. “I love kids, but I don’t want to be the passenger who has to move so a family can sit together,” remarked one traveler.
Still, there were others who felt airlines should take more responsibility. They argued that young children should automatically be seated next to their parents or guardians if their ages are disclosed during booking. One user firmly stated, “All minors should be assigned next to adults.”
Southwest Airlines has recently begun a transition to a reserved seating model, which marks a departure from their classic open-seat policy. Despite this, current federal regulations do not mandate airlines to guarantee adjacent seating for families.
The U.S. Department of Transportation advises airlines to seat infants with their parents or accompanying adults without any added charge. However, it’s important to note that there is no legal requirement for airlines to make sure seats are adjacent.
The DOT maintains a dashboard that tracks airlines’ commitments to allow children under 13 to sit next to an adult without extra fees. Notably, Southwest Airlines does not provide this guarantee.
Other major airlines like Delta, Spirit, and United also do not promise complimentary adjacent seats, although some carriers, including Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, have conditions under which they will allow children to sit next to an accompanying adult at no additional cost.
