Budget carrier Ryanair is under investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns that parents may be forced to pay extra fees to sit alongside their children during flights.
The regulator said it is examining whether the airline’s family seating practices could be considered unfair under consumer protection laws. According to The Financial Times, the CMA is assessing whether charges linked to family seating arrangements effectively require parents to pay additional costs to ensure they can sit next to young children.
Ryanair generally charges passengers around £8 each way to reserve seats. The CMA noted that this includes what the airline refers to as a “mandatory family seat” for children aged between two and 11 travelling with a parent or guardian. Under the carrier’s current policy, adults flying with young children must be seated together, with the arrangements made through its seat reservation system.
A central issue in the investigation is whether families are being charged for the airline to fulfil obligations that may already exist under aviation safety and disability requirements. Per The Financial Times, the regulator is also considering whether Ryanair’s approach complies with UK consumer law and whether the associated fees are presented transparently throughout the booking process.
The CMA said it will examine whether these costs are clearly disclosed at the outset or whether they emerge later in the booking journey, potentially altering the true cost of travel after consumers have been drawn in by lower advertised fares.
The watchdog added that, to its knowledge, Ryanair is currently the only major airline operating from the UK that imposes this type of charge. Other carriers generally seat children with a parent automatically or provide family seating arrangements without additional fees. The CMA stressed that its inquiry remains at an early stage and that no conclusions have been reached.
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Ryanair has strongly criticised the investigation, dismissing it as “bogus” and maintaining that its practices fully comply with both aviation and consumer regulations.
The airline said that adults travelling with children only pay for one reserved seat and can then choose adjacent seats for up to four children on the same booking without incurring extra charges. Ryanair argued that families are therefore not paying to seat children beside accompanying adults, but only for a single adult reservation.
The carrier also suggested that the investigation was politically motivated and connected to broader government policies relating to aviation taxes.
The CMA’s inquiry extends beyond family seating policies to the wider issue of pricing transparency. According to The Financial Times, the regulator is scrutinising whether seat reservation fees are “dripped” into the booking process, meaning consumers initially see a lower headline fare before mandatory or expected costs are added later.
Hayley Fletcher, director of consumer protection at the CMA, warned that unexpected charges can substantially increase the overall cost of family holidays, particularly as many households continue to face financial pressures linked to the cost-of-living crisis.
She said businesses are expected to provide consumers with clear pricing information upfront and cautioned that companies failing to meet their obligations could face enforcement action.
Source: The Financial Times
