Ryanair has announced a major change to its family seating policy, allowing families to sit together free of charge from June 25. The move follows new rules from the European Parliament last week and an investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into potential overcharging of parents.
New Family Seating Policy Details
The budget airline confirmed that families will not have to pay to sit together, though they will likely be seated in the rear of the aircraft where most unreserved seats are located. Adults who do not wish to pay for a reserved seat will be advised of their free seat allocation after check-in. Alternatively, adults can pay a discounted fee to select one seat and have up to four children seated beside them free of charge.
Ryanair stated that this "minor policy tweak" aligns its family seating policy with most other EU airlines and is "revenue-neutral" while families will continue saving "€billions every year" by choosing Europe's lowest fare airline.
Background: CMA Investigation
The change comes after the CMA investigated Ryanair over potential overcharging of parents seeking to sit with their children. Previously, Ryanair required parents traveling with children aged 2 to 11 to pay a mandatory family seat fee, typically around £8 each way, to reserve seats. Children were then assigned adjacent seats free of charge. Children under 2 had to sit on a parent's lap.
The CMA stated it would assess whether the practice complied with consumer law. Ryanair now says its policy "fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations."
Consumer Group Reaction
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: "It should never have required Which? to report Ryanair's unfair seating policy to the CMA to prompt action on these unjustified charges. It was never fair to charge parents to sit next to children as young as three." He added that Which? will monitor the policy's implementation over the next few months to ensure all parents are seated with their children without charge.
EU Rule Change
Last month, the European Parliament announced changes to travel rules, including a requirement that air carriers seat adults accompanying children under 12 in adjacent seats without extra cost. Ryanair's new policy aligns with this regulation.
