United Airlines is trying to ease the hassle of finding a seat for a family, and they want families to be stress-free.
The new seat policy is expected to take place in early March, the Chicago-based airline announced on Monday.
“United today announced an improved family seating policy that makes it easier than ever for children under 12 years old to sit next to an adult in their party for free – including customers who purchase Basic Economy tickets,” the company said in a press release.
The new policy “is made possible through a series of investments in a new seat map feature that dynamically finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking. The online seat engine reviews all available free Economy seats and then opens complimentary upgrades to available Preferred Seats, if needed.”
The decision comes after less than a year of federal officials urging airlines to make booking a flight for a family easier.
Customers traveling with children under 12 will start to see adjacent seating immediately. However, the whole policy will go into effect until early March.
In addition to more accessible seating, customers can swap flights for free if an adjacent seat is available in the cabin if booked last minute or an already full flight.
“United’s new policy is made possible through a series of investments in a new seat map feature that dynamically finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking. The online seat engine first reviews all available free Economy seats and then opens complimentary upgrades to available Preferred Seats, if needed.”
