Budget airline Ryanair is under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over its policy of charging parents to sit with their children on flights. The consumer watchdog said it is examining whether the budget airline's approach to family seat reservations is 'in line with customer law'. Ryanair has strongly criticised the move, describing the probe as 'bogus' and a 'failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers'.
Mandatory Family Seat Fees
Under Ryanair's current terms and conditions, at least one parent must sit with children aged between two and 11 during a flight. However to do this, the airline requires the purchase of what it calls a 'mandatory family seat,' allowing a parent to reserve a seat next to their child. While seat reservations remain optional for other passengers, parents travelling with young children under the age of 12 must pay the fee, which typically costs around £8 each way and applies to both outbound and return journeys.
The CMA said evidence suggests the policy is used on the majority of Ryanair routes from the UK and back. Additionally they believe the airline is the only major carrier operating from the UK that imposes this charge. Meanwhile other airlines either automatically allocate seats together during the booking process at no extra cost or allow children to sit with a parent or guardian without needing to pay for their seat.
Concerns Over Drip Pricing
The watchdog has also raised concerns over how the charges are presented during booking. Ryanair's website advertises 'free reserved seats for kids under 12', although parents and guardians must pay a booking fee to access those seats. As part of its investigation, the CMA will examine whether the mandatory family seat fee is being 'dripped' into the booking process. Drip pricing occurs when businesses do not initially disclose unavoidable charges, meaning consumers are not shown the full cost upfront.
The CMA added it is at the early stages of its inquiry and has 'reached no conclusions about whether Ryanair has broken the law'. Hayley Fletcher, senior director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: 'Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price. 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. For the past year, we’ve told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront - those who don’t face the very real possibility of action from the CMA.'
Ryanair Defends Policy
Responding to the investigation, Ryanair defended its policy, stating: 'Ryanair’s family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and saves families money when travelling on the UK’s lowest fare airline.' The airline added that it 'does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent', and 'parents travelling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat'. Ryanair's statement continued: 'This bogus CMA investigation is a failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers when it has failed to abolish APD (air passenger duty) which would immediately deliver lower fares for all consumers and growth for the UK aviation, tourism and wider economy. Ryanair looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims.'
