The change, which is currently being introduced, thanks to a series of investments in a new seat map feature that dynamically finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking, will make it easier than ever for children under 12 years old to sit next to an adult in their party for free.
United customers travelling with kids under 12 will start to see more adjacent seat options immediately and the complete policy change is scheduled to go into effect in early March.
United says, in instances when adjacent seats are not available prior to travel - due to things like last-minute bookings, full flights or unscheduled aircraft changes – United's new policy also lets customers switch for free to a flight to the same destination with adjacent seat availability in the same cabin. Customers also won't be charged if there is a difference in fare price between the original and new flights.
"In an era where more families are working in a hybrid environment, they're travelling more often – and they're flying United," said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. "We're focused on delivering a great experience for our younger passengers and their parents and know it often starts with the right seat. We look forward to rolling out more family-friendly features this year."
United Polaris, United First Class and Economy Plus seats remain separate products and are excluded from this family seating policy change.
In short, this looks like a good idea, it will help make travelling cheaper for those travelling with their kids. It should also reduce the amount of stress and aggravation at the airport and on flights for families as there should be no more split up parties, no trying to swap seats with other passengers and less tantrums - hopefully!