CMA Investigates Ryanair Child Seat Charges

Ryanair is facing an investigation by the UK’s competition regulator over fees charged to parents who want to sit next to their children on flights.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it is examining whether the airline’s family seating policy breaches consumer protection laws. According to the regulator, parents are typically required to pay around £8 each way to reserve a seat next to a child aged between two and 11 years old.

The CMA said Ryanair’s terms and conditions require young children to be seated with a parent or guardian. However, the airline achieves this through a “mandatory family seat” reservation that carries a fee. Regulators are investigating whether charging for this service means parents are effectively paying for the airline to fulfill its safety and accessibility obligations under aviation regulations.

The watchdog noted that Ryanair appears to be the only major airline operating from the UK that imposes such a charge. Other carriers either automatically seat children with accompanying adults at no extra cost or provide adjacent seats free of charge during booking.

The investigation remains at an early stage, and the CMA emphasized that it has not yet reached any conclusions about whether Ryanair has violated the law.

Ryanair strongly rejected the probe, describing it as “bogus” and maintaining that its family seating policy complies with all applicable laws. The airline explained that while one adult in a family booking pays for a reserved seat, up to four children on the same reservation can be assigned seats next to that adult free of charge.

The carrier also criticized the UK government, arguing that efforts to reduce costs for travelers would be better focused on abolishing Air Passenger Duty (APD), a tax applied to air travel. Ryanair said it expects to demonstrate that the CMA’s concerns are unfounded during the investigation.

In addition to examining the seating charge itself, the CMA will assess how the fee is presented during the booking process. Regulators are looking into whether the cost is added later in the transaction, a practice known as “drip pricing,” and whether customers are shown the full price of their trip upfront.

Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s Director of Consumer Protection, said extra fees can significantly increase the cost of travel for families trying to book affordable holidays. She stressed that businesses are expected to display the total price consumers will pay from the outset and warned that companies that fail to do so could face enforcement action.

Guidance from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority states that airlines must include all mandatory charges in advertised ticket prices. While airlines may charge for optional services such as baggage or seat selection, they are expected to make reasonable efforts to seat children under 12 near their accompanying adults, as well as accommodate disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility.

Consumer advocacy group Which? welcomed the investigation. Travel editor Rory Boland said the organization has long criticized Ryanair’s practice of separating families and charging parents to sit with young children. He urged the airline to end the fees immediately rather than waiting for the outcome of the CMA’s inquiry.

The investigation forms part of the CMA’s broader efforts to address cost-of-living concerns. Under recently expanded powers, the regulator can impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for breaches of consumer law.