U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks to Dictate Airline Seat Assignments | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-06.02.25

Airborne-NextGen-06.03.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.04.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.05.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.06.25

Thu, Jul 14, 2022

U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks to Dictate Airline Seat Assignments

Of Purviews Exceeded and Freedoms Conceded

The U.S. Department of Transportation has urged airlines to make it easier for families to sit together on commercial aircraft.

As incensed Americans simmer across the nation, the U.S. Federal Government has up-prioritized the matter of who sits where on airplanes. 

The DOT said in a notice to airlines that the carriers should “do everything that they can to ensure the ability of a child 13 or younger to sit next to an older family member.”

The department states it has received more than 500 complaints in the last five years about families being unable to sit together; that’s about 1% of all complaints registered against airlines and a triviality compared to the number of gripes made about delays, refunds, and in-flight problems. 

In 2016, Congress—ignorant of or indifferent to the complexities and regulatory rigors of airline seating conventions—pressured air-carriers to allow children to sit next to a family member at no extra charge—regardless of extant seating manifests and the rights of other passengers.

The Trump administration declined to meddle in matters regulatory compliance. 

Undeterred, the DOT—seeking to ameliorate the national emergency of airline seat-assignments—has suggested airlines modify their booking procedures or designate entire sections of aircraft seating for families. 

Right or wrong, air-carriers survive by dint of extraordinarily narrow profit-margins—often as low as one or two percent. To further burden airlines already contending with pilot shortages, record high fuel prices, route modification resultant of war, and escalating international tensions may only worsen an already critical infrastructure crisis.

FMI: www.transportation.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (06.03.25): No Gyro Approach

No Gyro Approach A radar approach/vector provided in case of a malfunctioning gyro-compass or directional gyro. Instead of providing the pilot with headings to be flown, the contro>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (06.03.25)

Aero Linx: European Hang Gliding and Paragliding Union (EHPU) The general aim of the EHPU is to promote and protect hang gliding and paragliding in Europe. In order to achieve this>[...]

ANN FAQ: Turn On Post Notifications

Make Sure You NEVER Miss A New Story From Aero-News Network Do you ever feel like you never see posts from a certain person or page on Facebook or Instagram? Here’s how you c>[...]

Airborne 05.30.25: Anti-Helicopter Bill, PW Strike Done, All-Electric Bristell

Also: Duffy Wants $$$, KS Airports, Morningside U’s Aviation School, New Airstrip In ID After 6 were killed in a helicopter crash over the Hudson River, several US Representa>[...]

Airborne 05.29.25: ATC Bonu$, VX4 eVTOL Flies, Starship 9 Test

Also: Hermeus Quarterhorse MK1, Seaplane Rating Guide, Vietjet A330neos, SFO Wacky Weed Bust As the air traffic controller shortage trudges on, the US Department of Transportation >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC