What is United Airlines' seating policy?

United Airlines has recently amended its family seating policy such that now it is much easier and cheaper to have families with children less than 12 years of age sit together even in the lowest priced ticket.​​

United’s Commitment to Family Seating

The United Airlines Family Seating Policy introduced by the airline ensures that any child aged below 12 can be allowed to sit next to at least one of the adults traveling with them at no extra cost whether the child bought Basic Economy or Economy tickets. This is a shift within a larger industry trend, which is not only in response to consumer criticism but also in response to regulatory demands that the airline industry would be more family friendly.​

How the Policy Works

United uses a dynamic seat map service in its reservation system. The technology will automatically find adjacent seats available in Economy in case the family is booking tickets including a child below 12. In case there are no available free adjacent seats, the system will unlock Preferred standard-legroom seats to such families without any additional fee. In the case of particularly full flights or last-minute reservations when family members are not able to sit together, United enables customers to change the flight to one that has adjacent seats available in the same cabin at no extra fee or fare alteration. This United Airlines Seating Policy will be implemented on all of the regular Economy fares except the United Polaris, First Class, and Economy Plus cabins.​

Tips for Booking Family Seats

• Ensure that adult companions have children on the same reservation.​

• Make your bookings in time to have a maximum number of choices to sit with.​

• In the case of scattered seats, the system of the United will also strive to reunite families during check-in, or prior to departure.​

• When you make a reservation with a third party, make sure you verify your seat reservations with United.

Families consisting of more than two adults, or more than one child, might find that even though United can fit one child per adult, their larger group might still have to be divided across the cabin, but will not pay a higher charge to place children under 12 years with their adults.​

Conclusion

The new policy of United Airlines that concerns the family seating is a step to the direction of providing the families with more comfortable experience during the traveling process. The needs and the concerns of the travelling family are addressed by the fact that by guaranteeing the ability of children under the age of 12 to sit next to at least one adult, the United is offering the service without charging any additional fees. This commitment is further promoted by the introduction of a convenient booking system and the possibility to make flight alterations in the event of the necessity. By booking tickets in advance and travelling as a family, families can make use of these features. On the whole, such a policy does not only demonstrate the commitment of United to enhance its customer experience but also corresponds to the fact that the industry has been becoming increasingly family-friendly, which makes air traveling pleasant to both children and their parents.