Sen. Schumer Says Families Should Sit Together For Free

Washington, DC (WIBX) - Senator Charles Schumer is asking Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and "Airlines for America," an industry trade group, to put the brakes on preferred seating fees that prevent families from sitting together on airline flights.

Although some charge as much as $60 per ticket, several major airlines are currently charging an average of $25 per ticket to seat families together. Considering the seating requirements to be a "premium" service is the only way that they can guarantee seats, according to the airlines.

Schumer says that families, he says, should not have to pay a premium to stay together. The fees serve as a "literal barrier between mother and child," he says.