The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into Ryanair’s family seating charges, focusing on whether parents are being made to pay to sit with children, including children with disabilities.
The watchdog says Ryanair’s terms require at least one parent to sit with children aged 2 to 11, enforced through a mandatory family seat fee that typically adds about £8 per flight and applies on outbound and return sectors. The probe covers whether that pricing amounts to an unfair contract term under UK consumer law and whether the airline is shifting costs tied to child-safety and disability obligations onto passengers. Ryanair disputes the case, saying it does not charge children to sit beside a parent or accompanying adult and that one reserved seat can cover up to four children on the same booking at no extra charge.
The CMA has drawn no conclusions. The immediate risk for Ryanair is pricing and disclosure changes if the case moves beyond the initial stage.