If you have paid extra to get a seat for your child, who is under 12 years of age, next to you in the airline, then wait, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has some good news for you!
The aviation regulator has announced a provision in which you won’t have to pay a single penny more for getting your kid sitting beside you on the flight.
DGCA’s new directive on child seating arrangements in flight
The DGCA has mandated airlines to allocate seats for children of up to 12 years of age with at least one of their parents or guardians on flights travelling on the same PNR (booking reference number).
Also, airlines cannot charge parents/guardian anything extra for seat selection if travelling on the same PNR.
Airlines have been asked to maintain a record of the same.
For the unversed, airlines across the globe, including in India, offer pre-seat selection for a cost and those who do not wish to pay get allocated from whatever seats remain after the pre-booked ones.
Why DGCA has done this?
The directive has been issued by the DGCA following complaints from passengers travelling in groups about being seated separately – especially from their children – if they choose not to pay extra for seat selection.
The aviation regulator, in a release said, the revision has been made in view of the various instances that came to its notice wherein children below the age of 12 years were not seated along with their parents/guardian.
“The existing Air Transport Circular 01 of 2021 has been suitably modified to incorporate with a view to alleviate any such situation in future,” the DGCA said in a release.
The DGCA further mentioned that it has revised the Air Transport Circular (ATC)-01 of 2024 titled, “Unbundle of Services and Fees by scheduled airlines”. As per the circular, some services like Zero Baggage, Preferential seating, Meals/Snack/Drink charges, charges for carriage of musical Instruments, etc. have been allowed.
It even clarified that the services are not mandatory.
“Such unbundled services are provided on “opt-in” basis by airlines and are not mandatory in nature. There is also a provision for auto seat assignment to the passengers who have not selected any seat for web check-in before scheduled departure,” the release by the DGCA stated.
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Paid extra to be seated next to your U-12 kid on a flight? You may not have to now
