UK child seating fees: What families should check before booking

Families booking flights should check an airline’s current seating and name-change terms before paying extra. The UK government has proposed free seating for children under 14 with a parent or accompanying adult, along with free corrections of simple booking-name errors. Those protections are not yet in force across all airlines; their delivery depends on the Civil Aviation Bill receiving Royal Assent.

What would change for children’s seats?

Under the Department for Transport’s plan, airlines would have to seat a child under 14 with a parent or accompanying adult without an extra charge. The department says a parent and child can currently face up to £104 in seating charges on a return journey. That is an example of a possible charge, not a standard fee on every airline or flight.

The proposal concerns keeping a child with an accompanying adult. It does not establish a general right for every member of a larger group to choose specific seats for free. Families who want particular seats should check what the airline offers and whether its current rules meet their needs.

Which booking-name corrections would be free?

The plan would also allow passengers to correct simple errors in a booking name without paying a fee. The department says a minor correction can currently cost as much as £40. It has not set out in its announcement every type of change that would qualify as a simple correction, so travellers should not assume the proposal covers changing the person who will fly.

Check names against travel documents before completing a booking. If you spot an error afterwards, contact the airline promptly and ask how it classifies the correction, what evidence it needs and whether a fee applies under its current terms.

Do families still need to pay for seats now?

The government says the changes will be delivered following Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill. Until the protections take effect, an airline’s existing booking terms remain the practical starting point. Some airlines may already seat children with an adult without a paid seat selection, but the available arrangement can vary.

Before buying tickets, read the airline’s policy for seating children and note whether it guarantees seats together or asks you to contact it. Compare the full booking price, including any seat selection you decide you need. Keep a copy of the policy and your booking confirmation. If a name needs correcting, check the airline’s correction window and fee before making a new booking or paying for a change.

The next useful check is the airline’s current policy at checkout, followed by any government announcement confirming when the new protections take effect.

Source: UK Department for Transport