Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Families Flying Together Act of 2015”.
Families Flying Together Act of 2015
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations with respect to ensuring families are able to sit together on flights, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Sec. 3 Seating families together on flights
In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations directing each air carrier to—
establish a policy to ensure, to the extent practicable, that a family that purchases tickets for a flight with that air carrier is seated together during that flight; and
make the policy described in paragraph (1) available to the public on an appropriate Internet Web site of the air carrier.
Definitions— In this section, the following definitions apply:
Air carrier— The term air carrier has the meaning given that term in section 40102(a) of title 49, United States Code.
Family— The term family means a grouping of individuals that includes, at a minimum—
a child who is 12 years of age or younger; and
an individual who is—
18 years of age or older; and
responsible for accompanying that child, including a parent or legal guardian of that child.
Sec. 4 Families traveling together
Section 41712 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Families traveling together
“(1) In general—It shall be an unfair or deceptive practice under subsection (a) for any ticket agent, air carrier, foreign air carrier, or other person offering to sell tickets for air transportation to fail to disclose, whether verbally in oral communication or in writing in written or electronic communication, prior to an individual’s purchase of more than one ticket for a covered flight, the notification in paragraph (2), if such purchase includes a ticket for a minor.
“(2) Notification—The notification required under paragraph (1) shall include the following statement: “It is not possible to assign 2 or more seats together on at least 1 of the flights you have selected. Please be advised that you may not be able to sit next to other members of your travel party, even if you are traveling with a minor.”.
“(3) Covered flight—For purposes of this section, a “covered flight” is a flight of an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or foreign air transportation as to which—
“(A) a purchaser of a ticket may specify an advance seat assignment, with or without the assessment of any charge or fee; and
“(B) 2 or more laterally adjacent seats are not available on the flight for advance assignment.”