American Airlines has modernized its seating technology in 2026 to ensure that families are rarely separated, specifically targeting those traveling with children under the age of 15. The airline's system is designed to automatically detect family bookings and search for adjacent seats before the day of departure. If open seats are not available at the time of booking, the system will continue to scan and assign seats so that at least one adult is seated next to each child in the party. This policy also applies to Basic Economy fares, which traditionally do not allow for seat selection. While the airline "tries its best" to keep the entire group in a single row, their primary guarantee is that young children will not be seated alone or across the aisle from their guardians. For the most seamless experience, American recommends booking as a single reservation or calling their customer service line to "link" separate bookings to ensure the automated family-seating logic is triggered for your specific flight.