Under a rule proposed Thursday by the Department of Transportation, airlines would be required to seat parents and kids 13 and younger together free of charge when adjacent seating is available at booking.
"As someone who has personally experienced flying with toddlers," Buttigieg said he knew first-hand that families traveling with little ones do not need added difficulties.
"What we're doing is we are requiring that an airline not charge you extra to sit next to your kids — or your grandkids, it applies to any company adults," Buttigieg told the CBS Mornings on Thursday.
"We've gotten hundreds of complaints over this issue since I got this job and we're doing something about it.".
President Biden called on Congress to ban family seating and other so-called "junk" fees early last year, with Buttigieg then urging the 10 largest airlines to voluntarily ban the fees.
A U.S. appeals court on Monday blocked the agency's new rule on upfront disclosure of airline fees pending a full view of the regulation, with the Fifth U.S.
If not, airlines would have to offer the option to rebook for free or stay on the flight in nonadjacent seats. »
