Ryanair has announced a policy change that will allow parents flying with young children to avoid paying a seat fee, following criticism from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The airline will offer free parent seats in the rear of its aircraft for future bookings.
CMA investigation prompted change
The move comes two weeks after the CMA announced it was investigating Ryanair's mandatory £8 fee charged to parents to sit with their children. The watchdog said the airline's terms require at least one parent to sit with their children, including those with disabilities, and bills them about £8 per flight to reserve a seat. The investigation aimed to determine whether this practice breached consumer law, particularly if passengers were not shown the total price of their flight upfront.
Ryanair's initial response
Ryanair had previously criticised the probe as a “bogus investigation” and said it looked forward to disproving the CMA's “false” claims. The airline stated that “like all adults who select a reserved seat, adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats beside them for up to four children on the same booking FREE OF CHARGE”.
Policy tweak details
The airline described the change as a “minor policy tweak” that will make “free parent seats” available in the rear of its aircraft for future bookings. This adjustment aims to address the CMA's concerns while allowing Ryanair to continue its low-cost model.
