Airlines will now be required to offer at least 60% of seats on every flight without any seat selection charge, while also ensuring that passengers travelling under the same PNR-typically families or group travellers-are seated together, preferably in adjacent seats. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued these passenger-friendly directives on Wednesday to address one of the most common complaints among air travellers.
Under the new guidelines, airlines must make a “minimum of 60% of seats on any flight available free of charge” to ensure fair access. They are also instructed to seat passengers on the same PNR together, with a preference for adjacent seating.
However, how airlines will implement this remains uncertain, as pre-booked seats could limit the ability to accommodate group seating requests. The issue of passengers being separated unless they pay extra for seat selection has long been a concern globally, not just in India.
In the United States, the matter has been debated for years. On February 5, 2023, then US President Joe Biden highlighted the issue on X (formerly Twitter), noting that some airlines charge additional fees for seat selection-even for parents wanting to sit with their children—and called on Congress to pass the Junk Fee Protection Act to curb such charges.
In April 2024, the DGCA mandated that airlines must ensure young children are seated with at least one parent or guardian on flights without any additional seat selection charges, provided they are travelling under the same PNR (booking reference).
The directive followed numerous complaints from passengers-particularly families-about being seated separately from their children if they chose not to pay extra for seat selection. Two years earlier, the DGCA had already instructed airlines to ensure that children up to 12 years of age are assigned seats alongside at least one accompanying parent or guardian on the same PNR, with proper records maintained for compliance.