Most airlines now charge seat selection fees for premium seats but some parents are concerned they could be separated from smaller children if they don’t pay to reserve ahead.

Joby Oommen is spending more than $2200 to fly his family of four from Abbotsford to Halifax on WestJet.

It is a lot of money, but what really has him steaming is the extra $189 he'll have to pay to reserve seats just to make sure his family sits together. 

Oommen's 8-month old is a lap child but what happens if he doesn't pay for a seat for his 2-year-old? Will his toddler have to sit with a stranger?

"I don't know who they are, they could be some criminal, a pedophile, whatever," said Oommen.

Oommen says WestJet characterizes its seat selection policy as a choice for passengers that want premium seats.  He says it feels more like extortion.

"As a parent what are you gonna do, you have to do it, it's not like you have a choice because sure you can just show up at the gate, but when you have little ones involved, you don’t know what's gonna happen," said Oommen.

CTV Calgary’s Consumer Specialist Lea Williams-Doherty asked WestJet about the policy.

Lea asked when seats are scarce, doesn't the company's seat selection policy boil down to a mandatory fee parents with small children have to pay?

A company spokesperson said no.

"We don't force people to pay, if they wish to because that's the only way, in their own minds that they can guarantee it and have peace of mind, that's their choice, but we will always do everything in our power to seat families with children together,” said Robert Palmer from WestJet.

In other words, Palmer says WestJet will not separate a small child from a parent, ever, even if the problem isn't detected until the family is on board.

"It would entail moving people around. We've done it before and we'll do it again, that's how important it is to us, we'll take a delay if necessary," said Palmer.

WestJet says it has three ways to make sure kids sit with parents if they haven’t prepaid for seats together:

  • First, when you book your own tickets on the website, the software recognizes children's ages and assigns them to sit with a parent
  • Failing that, the gate agent will make accommodation
  • If all else fails, the flight attendant will ask people to move seats once everyone has boarded the plane

WestJet defines young children as ages 2-12 and kids younger than two are free lap children.

The Canadian Transportation Agency currently has a complaint regarding seat selection fees before it.

If the agency finds fees to be unreasonable or discriminatory, it does have the power to order the airlines to change them.

(With files from Lea Williams-Doherty)