Ryanair drops mandatory fee for parents to sit beside children after UK regulator investigation

Regulatory pressure

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation earlier this month into Ryanair's practice of charging parents to guarantee seats next to their children on flights. The watchdog questioned whether the mandatory family seat fee, typically around £8 (€9) each way, was an unfair contract term under consumer law. Under the previous policy, adults travelling with children aged two to eleven had to pay to reserve a seat, while their children were then allocated places nearby free of charge. The CMA said it would examine whether the airline was forcing parents to pay for what could be considered a safety obligation.

Many families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know extra fees can quickly increase the price. Our investigation will examine Ryanair’s approach to family seat booking and how the cost is presented to consumers to determine if it complies with consumer protection law.

Policy change

Ryanair announced on Thursday that, with immediate effect, adults flying with children can opt not to pay for a specific seat. Instead, at check-in they will be given an automatic seat allocation that places them next to their children. The airline said families will most likely be seated at the rear of the aircraft because forward rows tend to be reserved and sell out first. Parents who prefer to sit elsewhere can still pay to choose a seat, with their children placed alongside them free of charge. The carrier described the move as "a minor policy tweak" and said it would bring its rules in line with most other EU airlines.

Ryanair's response

Group chief executive Michael O'Leary said the company was adjusting reluctantly, accusing the CMA of misunderstanding consumer interests. He argued the regulator was forcing the airline to adopt a less transparent approach used by rivals.

We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don't want to waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand what is in the best interest of UK and Europe's consumers.

Ryanair maintained its previous seating policy complied fully with all relevant laws and claimed the change would be revenue-neutral. O'Leary added that under the revised system, families may have to wait until after check-in to learn their seat allocation and are more likely to end up at the back of the plane, but "at least the CMA will be able to claim they have done something for consumers, but sadly most consumers won't notice."

What it means for travellers

The immediate change applies to future bookings and removes an extra cost that, according to the CMA, could quickly add up for families budgeting for summer holidays. Parents who accept the free random allocation will save the fee but give up control over where they sit on the aircraft. Ryanair said it chose the rear rows for these allocations because those seats are less in demand, leaving the more desirable forward seats for paying customers.