Ryanair under UK investigation for charging parents to sit next to their children

Ryanair is being investigated by the UK's competition watchdog over charges it imposes on parents who need to sit beside their young children on flights, with regulators examining whether the fees breach consumer law.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced the probe, saying it was assessing whether the mandatory seating fee — typically £8 (around $10) per flight — is "unfair" under UK consumer protection rules.

How the charge works

Under Ryanair's terms and conditions, at least one parent or guardian is required to sit beside children aged between 2 and 11 when flying, a requirement the airline describes as a "mandatory family seat."

While seat reservations are optional for all other passengers, parents and guardians must pay to secure a seat next to their child. Ryanair's website states that reserved seating for children under 12 is free, but the CMA says parents are in practice being charged a booking fee to access those seats.

What the investigation will examine

UK consumer law requires businesses to display a total ticket price upfront, rather than adding charges separately during the booking process — a practice known as drip pricing. The CMA's investigation will examine whether Ryanair's mandatory family seat fee violates that requirement. The watchdog says it believes Ryanair is "the only major airline flying out of the UK" to impose such a charge.

CMA Senior Director of Consumer Protection Hayley Fletcher set out the regulator's position in a statement. "Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price. Our investigation will consider Ryanair's approach to family seat reservations and how the cost is presented to consumers to determine whether they comply with consumer law," she said.

She added: "For the past year, we've told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront — those who don't face the very real possibility of action from the CMA."

Italy precedent and Ryanair's response

The investigation follows a relevant legal precedent in Italy, where Ryanair lost an appeal in 2024 against a ban on the same fees introduced by Italy's Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). The airline no longer imposes these charges on flights to and from Italy as a result.

Responding to the CMA probe, Ryanair told BBC News that its family seating policy "fully complies with all relevant laws," and that it "looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims during this bogus investigation."