Under new plans announced on Friday (2 October), the government said parents should not feel "pressured to pay extra simply to sit beside their child", adding that currently a family could be charged up to £104 on a return journey. 

Passengers will also be given greater flexibility to correct simple name errors on bookings for free, ending unfair and irritating charges – sometimes as much as £40 – for minor mistakes or admin tweaks.  

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple. And being hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn’t right either.

“People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I’m putting a stop to them."

Government told to focus on reducing taxes

Airlines UK Chief Executive Tim Alderslade criticised the government's announcement. He said: "UK consumers would be best served if government focused on reducing the tax burden and the cost impact of unachievable SAF sub-mandates on passengers.

"Passenger satisfaction levels have reached record highs in the latest CAA consumer tracker at 88%, higher than any other UK transport mode, proof that the public recognises the advantages of one of the most competitive aviation markets in the world, delivering choice, low fares and high levels of service for passengers every day."

Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's Chief Executive, called the move "political spin". "There are no fees for children to sit with their parents on UK airlines, and no fees for making minor spelling changes to bookings," he added.

"[It] is designed to cover over the damage that this Labour Government has inflicted on UK air travel by raising UK APD (Air Passenger Duty) to £15 per ticket – £60 for a family of four – in 2026.

"If Andy Burnham is serious about making 'everyday fixes' then he should start by abolishing £15 APD and scrap his stupid plan to allow regional mayors to “double tax” UK visitors."

'It's clearly unfair'

But Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “It’s clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to sit together. Airlines that have separated families are putting profit ahead of passenger peace of mind."

In addition, a new system for sharing information between airlines on persistently disruptive passengers is being created.

In 2025, more than 1,000 serious disruptive passenger incidents were logged by airlines, including a mid-air brawl that resulted in a flight being diverted, causing significant disruption to passengers and crew as well as costs for the airline.