- Ryanair investigated over family seating fees on UK flights.
- Watchdog examining whether charges comply with consumer law.
- Airline rejects claims and labels probe "bogus".
Britain's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Ryanair's family seating policy, putting the airline's charges for parents travelling with young children under the spotlight.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it is examining whether Ryanair's family seating fee breaches consumer protection laws and whether the airline is charging parents for something it may already be required to provide under aviation rules. The investigation also raises fresh questions about airline fees and consumer rights, making "Ryanair family seating charges" and "CMA investigation" key issues for holidaymakers planning summer travel.
Under Ryanair's current policy, children aged between two and 11 must sit with at least one parent or accompanying adult. To guarantee this, families are typically required to purchase what the airline calls a mandatory family seat, which costs around £8 per flight.
The fee at the centre of the dispute
The CMA said it wants to determine whether the charge is fair and whether families are being presented with all unavoidable costs upfront during the booking process.
Regulators are also investigating whether the fee is effectively being added later in the booking journey rather than being included in the initial advertised fare. Such practices, often referred to as "drip pricing", have become a growing area of focus for consumer watchdogs.
According to the CMA, Ryanair appears to be the only major airline operating from the UK that requires parents to pay in this way to secure seating next to their children. Other airlines either automatically seat families together or offer the arrangement without requiring a paid reservation.
The watchdog stressed that the investigation is still at an early stage and no conclusion has been reached on whether the airline has broken any laws. The regulator expects to report back within six months.
Ryanair has strongly rejected the allegations and insists its family seating policy complies with all relevant regulations.
The airline said parents are not charged for children to sit beside them. It reportedly said that one adult pays for a reserved seat while up to four children travelling on the same booking can receive adjacent reserved seats free of charge.
In a statement, Ryanair described the investigation as "bogus" and claimed it was a political attempt to demonstrate concern for consumers. The airline also argued that reducing Air Passenger Duty would do more to lower fares for travellers.
The company added that it looks forward to challenging what it called false claims during the investigation.
Wider scrutiny of airline charges
The probe forms part of the CMA's broader efforts to tackle unexpected consumer charges amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Hayley Fletcher, the CMA's senior director of consumer protection, reportedly said that many families save for months to afford holidays and that additional fees can quickly increase travel costs. She added that the investigation would assess both the charge itself and the way it is presented to customers.
The regulator has repeatedly warned businesses that consumers should be shown the full price of products and services upfront.
If Ryanair is eventually found to have breached consumer protection law, the CMA has the power to impose fines of up to 10 per cent of the airline's global turnover.
The latest investigation is not the first challenge to Ryanair's seating policy. In 2024, the airline reportedly lost an appeal linked to rules restricting airlines from charging extra for children under 12 or disabled passengers to sit with accompanying adults.
For now, the CMA's investigation remains ongoing, leaving Ryanair's family seating fees facing closer scrutiny from regulators and consumers alike.
