Ryanair ends family seat surcharge after UK competition watchdog launches investigation

The policy change

Ryanair has ended its mandatory "family seat" charge, allowing adults traveling with children aged 2 to 11 to receive free seat allocation next to their kids after check-in. The change applies to bookings made from 25 June 2026, the airline said, bringing its practice into line with most other European carriers. Families who do not pay to pick their seats will most likely be placed at the rear of the aircraft, as forward rows fill up first.

The surcharge previously cost around £8 (€9.30 or $10.70) each way. Under the old policy, at least one adult had to buy a reserved seat before up to four children could be seated alongside them free of charge. Ryanair said the revised approach will be "revenue neutral" and that parents may still choose to pay to reserve specific seats.

Investigation by UK regulator

Earlier in June, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into whether the charge breached UK consumer law. The watchdog said the fee could amount to forcing parents to pay the airline to meet its own child safety and disability obligations under aviation rules. The CMA described the typical £8 charge as a "mandatory family seat" cost and noted many other airlines already allocated children's seats next to a parent at no extra cost.

A CMA spokesperson said the regulator will test whether the new policy complies with the law. "If it does, it's a win for families who will no longer have to pay to sit next to their children," the spokesperson said, adding that the investigation remains open and does not erase the fact families had been charged for years.

A reluctant U‑turn

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary was openly critical of the CMA's intervention. He said the airline would "reluctantly adjust to this industry standard" and accused the regulator of misunderstanding what benefits consumers. O'Leary claimed the old system gave families certainty about their seating at the time of booking, whereas the new one forces a wait until after check-in.

Instead of promoting competitiveness and lower fares for consumers, the CMA is on a mission to force Ryanair to adopt the less transparent and less consumer-friendly family seating policy applied by most other airlines — just because it's the industry standard.

He also criticised the CMA for "turning a blind eye" to high prices on routes where Ryanair does not compete, calling the regulators "completely misguided".

Consumer reaction

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, welcomed the change but not the way it came about. He said it should never have required a formal complaint to force Ryanair to stop what he called unjustified charges.

It was never fair to charge parents to sit next to children as young as three. It's clear Ryanair is unhappy about being dragged into doing the right thing, so Which? will be monitoring the implications.

With the investigation still live, the CMA will scrutinise whether the new, free-but-rear-seating system fully resolves the consumer-law concerns. Ryanair maintains its previous policy was entirely lawful.