Six-Year-Old Child Seated Separately from Mother on airBaltic Flight
Starting next year, airlines will no longer be able to charge extra for seat selection, but currently only infants are guaranteed a seat next to parents. Recently, a family faced a situation where a six-year-old girl on an airBaltic flight was allocated a separate seat among strangers while her parents sat elsewhere.
Changes are coming to aviation that will affect families with children. According to an EU directive, from next year airlines will be prohibited from charging extra for seat selection. However, until then, only very young children—specifically infants—have the right to sit next to their parents without additional payment.
This issue recently drew attention when a family experienced discomfort on an airBaltic flight. A six-year-old girl was assigned a seat among strangers, while her mother and father had to sit in a different part of the cabin. Such arrangements raise questions about children's safety and comfort during flights, especially when seat selection is not possible without extra fees.
Currently, airlines offer seat selection only for an additional charge, forcing many families to choose between extra expenses or the risk of their child being seated separately. However, the planned changes next year could improve the situation by allowing parents to reserve seats next to their children at no cost.
