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Family seating rules are a victory for passenger rights

August 1, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for proposing long-sought rules requiring air carriers to seat families together at no additional cost. These rules are the culmination of more than a decade of advocacy by advocates, including NCL for common-sense family seating protections.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, chief executive officer of the National Consumers League:

“This decision marks the end of the ‘parent tax’ that airlines have gotten away with charging hard-working American families for far too long. Thanks to these common-sense, pro-family rules, parents will soon no longer have to choose between paying a junk fee to sit with their kids or put their children and other passengers at risk by being separated from them in the air. We applaud the leadership shown by the Biden-Harris Administration, Secretary Buttigieg and pro-consumer champions in Congress who helped bring these rules to fruition. NCL looks forward to participating in the rulemaking process and getting these protections across the finish line.”

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 About the National Consumers League (NCL) 

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.