UK competition watchdog opens probe into Ryanair's mandatory fee for parents sitting with children
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into whether Ryanair's 'mandatory family seat' charge, typically £8 each way, forces parents to pay for the airline's own safety obligations.
The investigation
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Ryanair over the fee it charges parents to sit with their children on flights. The watchdog said the Irish carrier's terms and conditions require at least one parent to sit with children aged 2 to 11, including those with disabilities, through what it calls a 'mandatory family seat'. This typically costs about £8 each way, though reserving a seat is optional for all other passengers.
The CMA said it will examine whether this practice constitutes an unfair contract term under consumer law. Specifically, the regulator is investigating whether parents are being charged for the airline to meet its own child safety and disability-related obligations as set out under aviation rules. The probe is at an early stage and no conclusions have been reached about whether Ryanair has broken the law.
Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price.
Ryanair's position
Ryanair described the investigation as 'bogus' and a 'failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers'. The airline said its family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations. It argued that it does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent, but that parents travelling with children pay for only one adult reserved seat.
The carrier's rules state that at least one parent must sit with their children aged 2-11 when they fly. Reserving one of these seats costs between €4.50 and €13.50 (approximately £4 to £12), and is typically £8 each way. The CMA has found that this approach is used across most of Ryanair's UK routes.
Industry context
The CMA said Ryanair is the only major airline flying out of the UK to impose this charge. Other carriers offer to seat children with a parent or guardian without the need for a paid reservation, or allocate seats together automatically during booking at no extra cost.
Drip pricing concern
The investigation will also examine whether Ryanair's mandatory family seat fee is dripped during the booking process, meaning the business does not initially present customers with all unavoidable charges. The CMA has spent the past year telling businesses to ensure customers are shown the total price upfront.
For the past year, we've told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront - those who don't face the very real possibility of action from the CMA.
Legal framework
The investigation relates to whether Ryanair's contract term is unfair under consumer law. Contract terms are unfair if they put customers at an unfair disadvantage. The law applies a fairness test that asks whether the wording tilts the balance of rights and responsibilities in the contract too much in favour of the business. Unfair terms are not legally binding on consumers.
