Ryanair has changed its seating policy to allow parents to sit with their children for no extra charge, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The change, announced on 25 June, means that from that date, adults travelling with children aged 2 to 11 who do not wish to pay for reserved seats will be allocated seats together free of charge, typically towards the rear of the aircraft.
Background to the policy change
Previously, Ryanair required parents to pay about £8 each way for a mandatory family seat, which then allowed children to be seated next to or near them. The CMA opened an investigation to determine whether that policy complied with consumer law.
Ryanair's statement
In a statement last month, Ryanair described the change as a “minor policy tweak” that aligns its family seating policy with that of most other European airlines. The airline said that families who prefer to choose their seats at booking and secure premium front rows can still do so by paying a seat reservation fee. Ryanair called the change “revenue-neutral” and added that families will continue saving billions of euros every year by choosing to fly with the airline.
CMA reaction
A CMA spokesperson said: “Ryanair claims its seating policy now complies with the law, and we’ll test that thoroughly. If true, it’s a win for families – who will no longer have to pay to sit with their children – and it shows the impact our new powers are having. But it doesn’t change the fact families have been paying for ‘mandatory family seats’. Our investigation remains ongoing.”
Ryanair CEO’s comments
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary accused the CMA of “turning a blind eye” to high fares on routes with no competition from the Dublin-based carrier and said the airline was “reluctantly” adjusting its policy to industry standard. He stated: “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. 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. Under our revised family seating policy, families may have to wait until after they have checked in to find out their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated at the rear of the cabin but at least the CMA will be able to claim they have done something for consumers, but sadly most consumers won’t notice.”
