The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) began an investigation on June 11 into Ryanair for charging parents a mandatory seat reservation fee to sit with children aged 2 to 11 on flights departing the UK [1, 2, 3, 4]. The fee, approximately £8 per flight, is required under Ryanair's family seating policy where at least one parent or guardian must sit next to young children [1, 2, 3, 4].

The CMA is examining whether the fee is unfair under UK consumer law and whether Ryanair violates rules on "drip pricing" by not including this charge in advertised ticket prices [1, 2, 3, 4]. Unlike families, other passengers can reserve seats optionally without a compulsory fee [1, 2, 3]. RyanAir does not apply this family seat charge on flights to and from Italy, where the Italian civil aviation authority banned the fee following legal challenges [1, 2, 3].

Ryanair said its family seating policy complies with laws and regulations. The company stated, "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." A spokesman added that the policy "fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations and saves families" and said the airline looks forward to disproving what it called "false CMA claims" during the investigation [1, 2, 3, 4].

The CMA noted Ryanair is the only major UK airline to impose a mandatory family seat fee [1, 2, 3, 4]. Consumer protection violations can result in fines up to 10% of a company’s global revenue [1, 2]. CMA senior director Hayley Fletcher highlighted the burden on families, saying, "Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price. Our investigation will consider Ryanair’s approach to family seat reservations and how the cost is presented to consumers to determine whether they comply with consumer law." [3]

The fee is not applied on every flight. Sometimes families can be seated together without payment of the charge, according to the CMA, which said the probe is still in early stages and no findings have been made yet [4]. Possible outcomes include rulings of unlawful conduct, enforcement remedies, or case closure [4].

In 2024, Ryanair lost an appeal against Italy's ban on mandatory child seating fees, a legal precedent cited in the CMA review [3]. The authority expects to provide an update on the Ryanair investigation within six months from June 11, 2026 [1, 2].