Passengers jetting off on holiday are set to save money from Friday, October 2, thanks to a Government law change which will be in place next summer. Under new plans unveiled today, airlines will be required to seat children under the age of 14 with their parent or accompanying adult free of charge, bringing an end to predatory practices by budget airlines, where parents would be split from their children and charged extra fees to sit together.
Currently, a parent and child could be charged up to £104 on a return journey, the Department for Transport said.
Free name corrections and disruptive passenger measures
Passengers will also be given greater flexibility to correct simple name errors on bookings for free, ending unfair and irritating charges – sometimes as much as £40 – for minor mistakes or admin tweaks.
Alongside this, the Government has announced it is working with airlines and trade unions to create a new system for sharing information on persistently disruptive passengers. In 2025, more than 1,000 serious disruptive passenger incidents were logged by airlines, including a mid-air brawl that diverted a flight, causing significant disruption to passengers and crew, as well as high costs for the airline.
The new system will make disruptors easier to spot, keeping staff and passengers safer from the get-go and enabling airlines to decide whether to extend a ban on their airline.
Government response and official statements
While most UK airlines already offer protections against hidden costs, these new reforms will give passengers greater consistency on all airlines operating in the UK.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple. And being hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn’t right either.
“People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I’m putting a stop to them.
“This is what our everyday fixes are all about. Giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out, waste their time and cost them money.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander added: “Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to sit next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error. That’s why we’re scrapping these unnecessary charges for all airlines – another everyday fix to help put money back in people’s pockets and give households more breathing room.
“And everyone deserves to travel knowing their flight isn’t going to be disrupted by bad behaviour from a small minority.
“These common-sense reforms will make flying safer for staff and passengers and protect people from unnecessary charges, whoever they fly with.”
