Ryanair Reverses Policy on Charging Parents to Sit With Children After Regulator Scrutiny

Ryanair has revised its family seating policy, now offering free seats for parents accompanying children, following an investigation by the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The budget airline had previously charged for reserved seating, even for parents needing to sit with young children.

The policy adjustment, described by Ryanair as a 'minor policy tweak,' means that parents traveling with children aged two to 11 will be able to sit with their children without additional cost. For bookings made from June 25, adults who do not wish to pay for a reserved seat will be allocated one for free after checking in for their flight, a practice common among other European airlines. This allocation is likely to be at the rear of the aircraft.

The CMA launched an investigation earlier this month to determine if Ryanair's practice of charging parents to sit with their children complied with consumer law. The watchdog noted that Ryanair was the only major airline flying from the UK to impose such a charge, typically around £8 each way.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary stated the company would "reluctantly adjust to this industry standard," expressing that regulators misunderstand consumer interests. He criticized the CMA's investigation as "bogus" and a "failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers."

Previously, Ryanair maintained that its policy fully complied with all relevant laws. The airline argued that adults traveling with children paid a single reserved seat fee but could then select up to four child seats beside them at no extra cost. The CMA, however, stated that families had been paying for what it called "mandatory family seats."

Consumer advocacy group Which? Travel had reported Ryanair's seating policy to the CMA, with editor Rory Boland stating it was unfair to charge parents to sit next to young children. He added that Which? would monitor the implications of the new policy to ensure all parents are seated with their children without charge.

The change comes after public and regulatory pressure, including a reported incident in early June where a single mother of two was allegedly allocated seats away from her children, including a two-year-old, on a flight from Gran Canaria to the UK. Despite contacting Ryanair, she was reportedly told no alternative seats were available and that she would have to hope cabin crew could rearrange seating onboard.