The UK's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Ryanair over the mandatory fee it charges parents to sit next to their own children – a practice the airline has branded “bogus”.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the Irish carrier's terms and conditions require at least one parent to sit with their child aged between two and 11, and bills them about £8 each way for a “mandatory family seat”. The same charge applies for children with disabilities.
“CMA investigates Ryanair over £8 fee for parents to sit with children; airline calls inquiry 'bogus'.”
According to the CMA, Ryanair is the only major airline flying from the UK to impose such a fee. Other carriers either offer to seat children next to a parent without charging or allocate seats together automatically during booking for free.
Ryanair hit back, describing the investigation as “bogus” and insisting its family seating policy “fully complies with all relevant laws”. In a statement, the airline said adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee “but can select reserved seats beside them for up to four children on the same booking FREE OF CHARGE”. It added: “This bogus CMA investigation is a failed effort by the Starmer Govt to pretend it cares about consumers when it has failed to abolish APD [Air Passenger Duty].”
The CMA, which said its investigation had just started and had “reached no conclusions”, will examine whether the mandatory fee is an unfair contract term under consumer law. The law applies a fairness test that asks whether the wording tilts the balance of rights and responsibilities too much in favour of the business. Unfair terms are not legally binding on customers, and the CMA can take enforcement action.
The watchdog will also look at whether the fee is “dripped” during the booking process – meaning consumers are not shown the total price upfront. Hayley Fletcher, the CMA's director of consumer protection, said extra charges can quickly bump up the price for families saving for an affordable summer holiday. “Our investigation will consider Ryanair's approach to family seat reservations and how the cost is presented to consumers to determine whether they comply with consumer law,” she said.
Ryanair's rules state that at least one parent must sit with their children aged 2-11 through the mandatory family seat, and the fee is levied on both outbound and return flights. For all other passengers, reserving a seat is optional. The CMA found that this approach is used across most of Ryanair's UK routes.
“Ryanair looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims during this bogus investigation,” the airline said. The CMA said it understands the fee typically costs between £4 and £12, with £8 being the average.
The investigation will determine whether parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety and disability-related obligations under aviation rules.