UK watchdog investigates Ryanair over fees to seat parents with children
The watchdog says the fee is about £8 each way and may be unfair because it is not always shown upfront.
- On Thursday, The CMA launched an investigation into Ryanair regarding fees parents must pay to sit with children aged 2–11, examining whether the "mandatory family seat" charge complies with consumer law.
- Specifically, the investigation relates to whether the contract term is "unfair" under consumer law, including whether the fee is "dripped" during booking to hide the total price from customers.
- This "mandatory family seat" typically costs around £8 each way, and The CMA is examining whether this forces parents to pay for the airline to meet its own child safety and disability obligations under aviation rules.
- Ryanair stated that its policy "fully complies with all relevant laws," adding that adults pay one reserved seat fee but can select seats beside them for up to four children free of charge.
- Hayley Fletcher, Senior Director of Consumer Protection, stated that businesses failing to show total prices upfront face potential action from The CMA, while Ryanair added it "looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims.
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The Danish Consumer Council Think is closely monitoring how the British competition authority judges a mandatory surcharge at Ryanair.
The Ryanair add-ons worth paying for, and the ones that aren't
One of the world’s most divisive airlines, Ryanair is also one of the largest – the ultra-low cost carrier recorded more than 208 million passengers in the year ending March 2026. This represents a 4 per cent increase on the previous year – passenger numbers continue to grow, despite the controversy the airline generates. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently investigating Ryanair over mandatory fees that parents must pay to s…
Ryanair investigated over family seating fees
Europe’s largest low-cost airline is under investigation over its policy requiring families with young children to pay for seat reservations. UK regulators will examine whether the fees are unfair and whether they breach rules designed to prevent hidden charges.
Ryanair examined over parents being charged to sit with children on flights
Ryanair is being investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights. The UK's consumer watchdog said it will determine whether the practice is 'in line with consumer law'. Today's top videos The airline described the investigation from the competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as 'bogus' and a 'failed effort by the Starmer government to pretend it cares about consumers'. Ryanair requires parent…
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday that it is investigating Irish airline Ryanair over the fees parents pay to sit with their children aged 2 to 11. The carrier also has a policy that at least one parent must sit with them, charging them around £8 (roughly 225 crowns) per flight.
A parent must sit with any child between the ages of 2 and 11 on a flight, but the seat must be paid for separately to secure it. The post Ryanair under investigation for charging parents who sit with their children appeared first on in.gr.
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