Jetstar repeatedly separates children from parents during flights

In Australia, a Sydney lawyer named Bianca Marcellino has raised concerns about Jetstar's seating policy after experiencing repeated instances where her children were seated several rows away from her during flights. This issue first arose during a return trip between Sydney and Townsville in late July 2026, where her three children were assigned seats seven rows away from her. Bianca noted that this was not an isolated incident; it marked the fourth time in six months that the airline's automated system had separated her from her children. She recounted a previous flight to Bali in February 2026, where her then-two-year-old was allocated a seat 13 rows away on a six-and-a-half-hour journey.

Despite Jetstar's stated policy that aims to seat families together, Bianca has found that the problem has become more frequent during the online check-in process. She expressed concern that the airline's practices give the impression that families are encouraged to pay for seat selection, even though the policy clearly states that children should be seated with their parent or guardian. Bianca has contacted Jetstar multiple times through their online chat service to resolve the seating issues before flights. Initially, she was often told that her fare did not include seat selection and was encouraged to pay for it or wait until arriving at the airport.

However, when she insisted on the airline's policy regarding seating arrangements for children, Jetstar agents eventually acknowledged it as a system error and manually changed their seats to ensure they were together. Bianca emphasized the importance of having her children seated with her, especially since some of them require additional assistance during the journey. She believes that parents should not have to rely on airport staff to rectify these issues, as traveling with young children is already stressful enough.

Bianca's experience highlights a significant safety concern for families traveling with young children. She argues that Jetstar should implement a system that automatically recognizes children traveling on the same booking and allocates seats together from the outset. The current process, which requires parents to contact Jetstar or rely on airport staff, is not sufficient for ensuring the safety and comfort of families during flights.