Biden says airlines can’t treat kids like ‘baggage’

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday slammed US airlines, saying they are charging families unfairly and promising to introduce new consumer protection measures.

“We will ban airlines from charging families $50 round-trip just to sit together,” Biden said in his State of the Union address. “Baggage fees are bad enough – airlines can’t treat your child like a piece of luggage.”

Airlines for America (A4A), a group representing Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, said Tuesday its member airlines do not charge for sitting together.

A spokeswoman said the airlines are “making every effort to accommodate customers traveling together – particularly those traveling with children”.

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

Airlines are facing mounting calls in Congress to improve consumer protections after a series of disruptions, including a Southwest holiday meltdown that led to the cancellation of more than 16,000 flights.

Last week, airlines fired back at the White House and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, saying the government’s proposals on air competition were “short-sighted” and would “increase costs and reduce consumer choice.”

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

“Secretary Buttigieg called her out at my request,” Biden said.

US lawmakers have proposed sweeping legislation to require airline passengers to be reimbursed for delayed flights, ban further reductions in airplane seat sizes and give consumers new rights to sue airlines for unfair practices.

The US Department of Justice has also sued to sever American Airlines Northeast’s alliance with JetBlue Airways, and USDOT has allocated Spirit Airlines 16 peak-hour flights at congested Newark Airport.

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

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing of Lincoln Feast)

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