The carrier said a new online seating engine allows customers to access features for family seating, reviewing available economy seating with optional complimentary upgrades.
"Customers traveling with children under 12 will start to see more adjacent seat options immediately and the complete policy change will go into effect in early March," United said in a statement.
"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."
The move comes after President
"In an era where more families are working in a hybrid environment, they're traveling more often -- and they're flying 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."
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United appeared to downplay
"Many airlines try and use a more manual process to seat families together that can include blocking random seats or asking agents to facilitate seat swaps at the gate," United said. "Those circumstances often result in more stress and a longer boarding process for everyone."
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