Can an airline sit a child away from parent?

On most major airlines, kids must be at least five years old to fly alone, yet recently, infants as young as 11 months have been seated away from their parents. This week, major airlines have finally announced new policies to prevent families from being separated in the air.



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The vast majority of the time, passengers don't have any problems boarding their flights. But occasionally, airlines may “bump” passengers and have them give up their seats. Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats.

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Some airlines permit this for kids as young as 12. When a child has reached this minimum age for traveling alone without unaccompanied-minor procedures, the airline does not require evidence of parental permission to travel alone. If the child has a passport, he or she can even travel internationally.

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Infants under 2 years old can travel at no charge in the lap of their parent (any age), or an accompanying adult 16 years or older traveling in the same cabin.

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If you were not able to make an advance seat assignment, keep an eye on the seat map as these seats will begin to open up once check-in begins and then once the gate opens for the flight.

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Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers. When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping.”

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Family Seating Policy Delta strives to seat family members together upon request. If you are unable to obtain seat assignments together for your family using delta.com or the Fly Delta mobile app, please contact Reservations to review available seating options.

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In fact, most regular airlines now charge for seat selection anyways. It's often around $10-$30 per seat per flight segment, so if you cave in and pay for that, it can add up quickly. You shouldn't do it. No matter which airline you're flying on, don't ever pay to select a seat.

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United Airlines United is also among the few airlines committed to helping families sit together on flights. United's family seating policy guarantees families with children under age 12 in certain cabins can sit together for free, regardless of fare type.

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If you are traveling with a child who is not yours, bring signed and notarized consent forms from the child's parents or legal guardians. Consent form requirements vary by destination, so you may not be asked to produce them, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

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Children traveling with grandparents, cousins, other relatives, or school groups will need to have a signed document, such as a Child Travel Consent, allowing them to travel without a parent or legal guardian.

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Your seat will not be assigned until after you check in to your flight. If your seat number does not appear on your boarding pass, your seat will be assigned at the gate before you board.

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Tammy Nelson was flying on Delta Airlines from Cincinnati, Ohio, to San Jose, California, when she was asked to swap seats with a woman who wanted to sit next to her two children.

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For domestic flights in the U.S., airlines have to pay you 200% of the value of your one-way ticket up to $775 if you arrive at your destination one to two hours past your originally scheduled itinerary or 400% of the one-way ticket price, up to $1,550 if your arrival delay is longer than two hours.

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If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger's check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger's frequent flyer status.

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Once your child is 2 years old, you'll need to purchase a seat for them. The FAA recommends that children under 40 pounds continue to use a car seat and that children over 40 pounds use the seat belt on the airplane seat.

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You may have to present proof of age like a birth certificate for any children under the age of 18. Families with children under 2 years old can ask to board early at the gate.

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Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.

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