DOT Launches Campaign to ‘Make Travel Family Friendly Again’

Image: Family preparing for travel at the airport. (Photo Credit: Jacob Lund/Adobe)
Image: Family preparing for travel at the airport. (Photo Credit: Jacob Lund/Adobe)
Lacey Pfalz
by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Tue December 9, 2025

US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy announced a new “Make Travel Family Friendly Again” campaign, as the Trump Administration seeks greater funding to improve all aspects of the air travel experience, from playground equipment in airports to healthier food options. 

The new DOT campaign includes $1 billion in funding to prioritize making airport terminals more family friendly, including creating more children’s play areas, adding additional mothers’ rooms or nursing pods, creating a family screening lanes at TSA checkpoints, building sensory rooms for the neurodivergent and more.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stands with HHS Secretary Kennedy to promote Farmer's Fridge and other healthy airport food options. (Photo Credit: US Department of Transportation)

The funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Airport Terminal Program, which allocates $1 billion in airport infrastructure funding each year. The program is in its fourth year, having begun during the Biden Administration in 2022. Airports have until January 15, 2026 to submit their eligible projects for potential funding. 

In partnership with Health and Human Services, part of the new campaign will address healthier food options at the airport, citing the popularity of the healthy airport vending machine concept, Farmer’s Fridge. 

“Bringing about a Golden Age in travel has to involve making the family travel experience happier and healthier,” said Duffy. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to enacting a Family First agenda and improving the lives of the American people.” 

At the press event at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Duffy and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy took turns doing pull-ups to promote getting exercise ahead of flying, according to Reuters


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Lacey Pfalz

Lacey Pfalz

Associate Editor

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She's a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at lpfalz@ntmllc.com.

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