A passenger has complained that Ryanair's seating policy deliberately separates families unless they pay extra. The traveller, identified only as RA from Denmark, booked a flight for himself, his partner, and their nine-month-old daughter. Despite being the lead passenger, his partner was assigned a seat seven rows away from the baby, while he could purchase an adjoining seat for €32 (£28).
Ryanair's policy requires that infants be seated with the lead passenger. Since 2016, the airline has made it compulsory for at least one adult in a party with children under 12 to pay £4 for a seat reservation to sit next to a parent or guardian. The airline claims it has not changed its random seat allocation policy, but critics argue this is a deliberate ploy to generate revenue.
A Ryanair spokesperson stated that more middle seats are allocated because more passengers are choosing reserved seats, and paying customers overwhelmingly prefer aisle and window seats. This means those who opt for free random seats are more likely to end up in middle seats.
The Civil Aviation Authority is currently investigating whether airlines are intentionally splitting up groups to force them to pay for adjacent seats. The outcome of this investigation is pending.
