Flying to Florida With Children? UK Plans Ban on Family Seating Fees

Families flying to Disney World could have one less extra charge to budget for, under UK government plans to stop airlines charging parents for a guaranteed seat next to their children under 14.

The guarantee of sitting beside a parent is part of Andy Burnham’s Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, that’s currently being discussed in parliament. It would bring into law a set of new rules that are aimed to ban what the Prime Minister is calling “rip-off” charges by airlines. It’s not law yet, but it is believed that the government is trying to push changes through in time for Summer 2027 holidays.

What Impact Proposed New Legislation Will Have On Florida Flights

The government is bringing in two changes to flights as part of an initiative of everyday fixes to reduce unnecessary costs for UK families. This includes:

• Children aged 14 and under being able to be seated with a parent or guardian for free

• Preventing charges for simple name errors or minor changes on bookings, such as misspelling a name.

UK families flying to Florida are likely to feel the biggest benefit from no longer having to pay to get a guaranteed seat next to their children when the legislation passes. The aim to reduce extra costs will reduce Florida holiday costs, and flight concerns for parents.

Andy Burnham said:

The UK government states that parents have been facing costs as high as £104 to guarantee sitting next to their children on flights, and for long-haul flights such as those to Florida, where reassurance is often paramount, this is a high cost to pay on top of the cost of transatlantic flights.

Current Civil Aviation Authority guidance 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. The new legislation, that’s not yet in effect, takes this further. It’s banning airlines from charging for the guarantee of sitting next to your child on a flight; making it law that parents can sit next to children on flights; and increasing the age of children this applies to by two years. It’s a step that, when in effect will remove the cost of peace of mind for parents flying with children.

When Will The Changes Happen?

The changes form part of a larger piece of legislation called the Civil Aviation Bill. The government says the changes are set to be delivered following Royal Assent of the Civil Aviation Bill, with airlines involved to ensure swift and fair implementation. No firm start date has been announced. When this happens, it’s expected that changes will be made by airlines fairly quickly, but there is no confirmed date for when the changes will come into effect.

It has been stated that Prime Minister Andy Burnham hopes this will be in place in time for Summer 2027 holidays, which would be good news for people flying to Florida.

For Disney holiday planning, the proposed protection covers a child sitting with an accompanying adult; the announcement doesn’t promise free advance seat selection for your whole travelling party. Once it comes into effect however, it should remove the concern that parents have about flying to Florida and not sitting next to their child if they don’t pay.

Magic In A Minute

The UK government plans to stop airlines charging for under-14s to sit beside a parent or accompanying adult. It could help with the cost of flying to Disney for UK families, but the start date remains unconfirmed. For now, check the airline's current policy before adding seat selection to your booking, as each airline has slightly different operating policies currently.