Ryanair is being investigated by the UK's competition watchdog over charges it imposes on parents to sit next to their child on flights – a policy the airline calls a “mandatory family seat” that typically costs £8 each way.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was examining whether the fee is “unfair” under consumer law, adding that Ryanair’s terms require a parent to sit with a child aged between two and 11, and that the airline charges for that seat.
“CMA investigates Ryanair over £8 fee for parents to sit next to children, calling it potentially unfair.”
Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, hit back, calling the investigation “bogus” and insisting its family seating policy “fully complies with all relevant laws”. In a statement, it 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.”
“This means that parents travelling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat but pay nothing for the four other reserved seats for their children travelling with them,” it added.
But the CMA said it understood Ryanair was the only major airline flying from the UK to impose such a charge. Other airlines offer to seat children next to a parent without a fee, or allocate seats together automatically during booking for free.
The watchdog also said it would examine whether the fee is “dripped” during the booking process – meaning consumers may not see the total price upfront. The CMA’s director of consumer protection, Hayley Fletcher, said extra charges can quickly bump up the price for families saving up 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,” Fletcher said.
Ryanair dismissed the probe as “a failed effort by the Starmer Govt to pretend it cares about consumers” and accused the government of not abolishing Air Passenger Duty, which the airline said “would immediately deliver lower fares for all consumers.”
The CMA stressed that the investigation had just started and it had “reached no conclusions about whether Ryanair has broken the law.”