Schumer to airlines: Keep families together

Sen. Charles Schumer is urging airlines to allow families with young children to sit together without paying extra.

The New York Democrat does not want airlines to charge fees that would keep parents from sitting with their kids while on flights.

"Children need access to their parents and parents need access to their children," Schumer said in a statement. "Unnecessary airline fees shouldn't serve as a literal barrier between mother and child."

Since last year, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines have increased the percent of seats they set aside for elite frequent fliers or customers willing to pay extra. Fees for the seats -- on the aisle, next to windows, or with more legroom -- vary, but typically cost $25 extra, each way.

Airlines are searching for more ways to raise revenue to offset rising fuel prices. Airfare alone typically doesn't cover the cost of operating a flight. In the past five years, airlines have added fees for checked baggage, watching TV, skipping security lines and boarding early.

Fees for better seats have existed for a few years but have proliferated in the past 12 months.

Schumer is asking Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to issue rules preventing airlines from charging parents more to sit next to kids. He is also asking the industry's trade group, Airlines for America, to persuade carriers to voluntarily waive the fee for families.

The airlines say they try to keep parents and young children together. Gate agents will often ask passengers to voluntarily swap seats but airlines say they can't guarantee adjacent seats unless families book early or pay extra for the preferred seats.