Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers is being investigated by UK competition authorities for charging parents for seats next to their children on flights. The Competition and Markets Authority said it was looking at fare structures imposed on parents by Ryanair to see whether the fee charged for a parent-child seat combination are “unfair.”
Ryanair’s terms of carriage state that a parent must be seated next to any of their children who are aged between two and 11 years old. The mandatory “family seating” policy means people flying with kids typically pay £8 (around €9) more than other fliers each way, the CMA said.
We’re investigating Ryanair over its practice of charging parents to sit with their children – including those with disabilities – and whether this could be unfair under consumer protection law.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) June 11, 2026
Read more: https://t.co/m06825a79J
Noting that Ryanair is the only major airline to charge parents in this way, with its rivals usually automatically booking parents and children together, the investigation will focus on the budget Irish carrier’s “approach to seat reservations” and whether the terms of carriage “mean parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety and disability‑related obligations as set out under aviation rules,” the CMA explained.
The scrutiny will consider “whether or not this practice is in line with consumer law,” taking into account the way extra fees are not always apparent to consumers during the booking process, where customers should be shown the total price upfront.
The UK consumer champion Which? has welcomed the CMA announcement, with travel editor Rory Boland, calling its terms and conditions “unreasonable” and a “harsh approach to separating families and making parents pay a fee to sit next to children as young as three.”
@netmums The row over whether you should have to pay for reserved seats when flying with your kids has stepped up a gear… @Ryanair ♬ original sound – Netmums
But the airline has rejected the idea that its policy disadvantages anyone, calling the investigation “bogus.” It said adults travelling with children pay for one reserved seat but can use the same fee to “select reserved seats beside them for up to four children on the same booking FREE OF CHARGE. This means that parents travelling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat but pay nothing for the four other reserved seats for their children travelling with them,” it highlighted.
In its response, Ryanair also took a political swing at the UK’s current Labour government which has so far not succumbed to airline demands for UK APD (air passenger duty) to be abolished—a saving the carrier says could be passed on to consumers to boost confidence and spending. Abandoning or lowering APD “would immediately deliver lower fares for all consumers and growth for the UK aviation, tourism and wider economy,” the carrier said.
There is no indication yet of the outcome of the investigation or when it will conclude.
