Airlines can't charge families for wanting to sit together on planes, says Biden

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden on Tuesday harshly criticised US airlines, saying they were charging families unfair fees and vowing to implement new consumer protections.

“We’ll prohibit airlines from charging US$50 (S$70) round trip for families just to be able to sit together,” Mr Biden said in his State of the Union address. “Baggage fees are bad enough – airlines can’t treat your child like a piece of baggage.”

Airlines for America, a group representing Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, said on Tuesday its member carriers do not charge fees to sit together.

A spokesman said airlines “make every effort to accommodate customers travelling together – especially those travelling with children”.

Mr Biden touted regulations the Transportation Department is drafting to make “airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is cancelled or delayed”. Refunds would apply only if passengers opted not to take flights.

Airlines face growing calls in Congress to boost consumer protections after a series of disruptions including a holiday meltdown at Southwest that resulted in the cancellation of more than 16,000 flights.

[[nid:583202]]

Last week, the airlines shot back at the White House and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, saying administration proposals on aviation competition were “short-sighted” and will “drive up costs and reduce choices” for consumers.

Mr Biden in September touted his administration’s “cracking down” on US airlines to improve treatment of passengers after they updated customer service plans.

“Secretary Buttigieg, at my request, called them out,” the President said.

US lawmakers have proposed sweeping legislation to require that airline passengers get refunds for delayed flights, prohibit further shrinking plane seat sizes, and give consumers new rights to sue airlines for unfair practices.

The US Justice Department has also sued to unwind American Airlines’ Northeast Alliance with JetBlue Airways, and the US Department of Transportation reassigned 16 peak-hour flights at congested Newark Airport to Spirit Airlines.

The Justice Department is expected to soon decide whether to sue to block a merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.