Ryanair is currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for charging parents additional fees to sit alongside their children on flights. The regulator is examining whether these charges, imposed by the low-cost airline, potentially violate consumer protection laws.
Ryanair’s policy requires at least one parent or guardian to sit next to children aged between 2 and 11 years old. This is facilitated through a “mandatory family seat” arrangement, for which parents must pay extra to reserve seats next to their child. The CMA is scrutinising if this fee unfairly forces consumers to bear costs related to child safety and disability obligations that should be covered by the airline under aviation regulations.
In a statement, the CMA outlined its concerns: it is investigating whether Ryanair’s contract terms include an unfair clause that compels parents to pay to sit beside their children. The authority is also evaluating how this fee is communicated on Ryanair’s website, particularly regarding whether it is transparently included in the total price disclosed at the start of the booking process.
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The CMA has begun gathering evidence and engaging with Ryanair to determine if the airline has breached consumer protection laws. However, no conclusions have been made so far, and the airline is presumed compliant until findings state otherwise.
This investigation is conducted under Part 3 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which permits the CMA to collect and share personal data as necessary for enforcing consumer rights.