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Ryanair ‘reluctantly’ scraps mandatory fees that allow kids and parents to sit together Previously, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers charged a fee—typically $10.70 each way per adult—to allow up to four children aged two to 11 to sit next to an accompanying adult.

Ryanair investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments 3 Skip to next photo 1 / 1 Show caption 1 / 1 0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Ryanair is being investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights. Competition watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will determine whether the practice is “in line with consumer law”. The airline described the investigation as “bogus” and a “failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers”. Ryanair requires at least one parent to sit with their children aged between two and 11, according to the watchdog. It does this through what the carrier calls a mandatory family seat, which typically costs about £8 each way, the CMA said. Paying to reserve a seat is optional for other passengers. The CMA said it is investigating whether Ryanair’s approach means “parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety …

Ryanair 'reluctantly' ends mandatory fees for parents to sit with ... close video Delta CEO says airline fares rose as Iran conflict sent fuel costs soaring, but demand remains strong Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss the impact of rising fuel costs, resilient travel demand and the airline's international expansion plans. Ryanair will "reluctantly" allow parents to sit with their children for free after an investigation into the practice was opened, bringing the airline in line with European industry standards. Previously, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers charged a fee—typically $10.70 each way per adult—to allow up to four children aged 2 to 11 to sit next to an accompanying adult. Moving forward, families who do not pay to reserve seats will be allocated random seats together for free after check-in, likely toward the rear of the plane, Reuters reported. THREE RYANAIR PASSENGERS REMOVED FROM FLIGHT AFTER BRAWL ERUPTS: VIDEO Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX aircraft flying on final approach. On Friday, the budget carrier said it would allow parents to sit with their children for free. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Ge…

Ryanair investigated over charging parents to sit with their children <p>UK competition watchdog investigates whether charge of about £8 is an unfair contract term under consumer law</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jun/11/ryanair-investigation-seating-children-eurozone-interest-rates-middle-east-oil-uk-housing-live-news-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Europe’s biggest low-cost airline, Ryanair, is facing an investigation over the mandatory fee it charges a parent to sit with their child.</p><p>The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the Irish carrier’s terms and conditions require at least one parent to sit with their children, including those with disabilities, and bills them about £8 per flight to do so.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/11/ryanair-investigated-over-charging-parents-children-uk-cma">Continue reading...</a>

Ryanair Changes Family Seating Policy After CMA Probe Ryanair has changed its family seating policy so that parents can sit with young children without paying a seat reservation fee, following a UK investigation into the practice. Adults travelling with children who do not want to pay for reserved seats will now be told their free seat allocation after check-in, rather than at the time of booking. The change applies to bookings from Thursday, 25 June 2026. The airline said the move puts it in line with most other European carriers. It said it does not expect any impact on revenue from the change. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) began investigating whether Ryanair ‘s policy was unfair under consumer law earlier this month. The regulator was examining a contract term requiring an adult travelling with a child to pay for a mandatory family seat in order to sit next to them, and whether that fee was properly included in the total flight price. Under the previous system, adults travelling with children paid for one reserved seat, then could select seats beside them for up to four children free of charge. The CMA said that typically meant a fee of £8 each way. Ryanair said t…

Ryanair parent and child seating charges investigated by CMA Ryanair Family Leisure Personal Finance Travel By Jade Wright Personal Finance Writer Share 0 Comments The CMA has launched an investigation into Ryanair's family seating policy amid concerns parents may be charged extra to sit with their children on flights. (Image: PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Parents booking summer holidays could be paying extra simply to sit next to their own children, as Ryanair comes under investigation over a controversial family seating policy. The budget airline is facing scrutiny from the UK's competition watchdog over claims families are being charged fees that can add to the cost of a holiday before they've even left the ground. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a probe into whether Ryanair's family seat charges comply with consumer law and aviation rules. Why is Ryanair being investigated? According to the CMA, Ryanair requires at least one parent travelling wi…

UK probes Ryanair over fees for parents to sit with children <p>Britain’s competition watchdog said on Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Irish carrier Ryanair over fees that parents must pay to sit with their children.</p> <p>The no-frills airline requires at least one parent to sit with children aged two to 11 during a flight, but that means they must pay for what is called a “mandatory family seat”.</p> <p>The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether the fee, typically around ₤8 ($11) per flight, is “unfair” under consumer law.</p> <p>For other passengers, reserving a seat is optional.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/CMAgovUK/status/2064952447504634100'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/CMAgovUK/status/2064952447504634100"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>The CMA said it would determine whether Ryanair’s seat reservation fees mean parents are being charged to meet “child safety and disability-relate…

Ryanair Stops Charging for Parents to Sit With Their Children Ryanair was the only major airline operating in Britain that imposed this type of fee, according to a regulator.

Ryanair 'reluctantly' allows parents to sit with their children f Published byGlobal Banking & Finance Review Posted on June 25, 2026 · Last updated: June 25, 2026 DUBLIN, June 25 (Reuters) - Ryanair will "reluctantly" allow parents to sit with their children for free from Thursday, a change it said would be revenue-neutral and comes two weeks after Britain's competition watchdog launched a probe into its policy. Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers previously required adults travelling with children aged between 2 and 11 to pay a "family seat" charge, allowing up to four children to sit next to one accompanying adult. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said the surcharge typically cost around £8 ($10.70) each way and may constitute forcing parents to pay Ryanair to meet its own child safety and disability obligations under aviation rules. The budget carrier said families still have the option of paying the charge to reserve seats. Otherwise, they will be allocated random seats together for free after check-in, likely towards the rear of the plane. "We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don't want to waste time explaining to misguided …

Ryanair investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments 3 Skip to next photo 1 / 1 Show caption 1 / 1 0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Ryanair is being investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights. Competition watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will determine whether the practice is “in line with consumer law”. The airline described the investigation as “bogus” and a “failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers”. Ryanair requires at least one parent to sit with their children aged between two and 11, according to the watchdog. It does this through what the carrier calls a mandatory family seat, which typically costs about £8 each way, the CMA said. Paying to reserve a seat is optional for other passengers. The CMA said it is investigating whether Ryanair’s approach means “parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety …

Ryanair Is Being Investigated for Charging Parents to Sit Next to Their Children Travelers at the Makedonia airport in Thessaloniki, Greece, last month.

Ryanair parent and child seating charges investigated by CMA Ryanair Family Leisure Personal Finance Travel By Jade Wright Personal Finance Writer Share 0 Comments The CMA has launched an investigation into Ryanair's family seating policy amid concerns parents may be charged extra to sit with their children on flights. (Image: PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Parents booking summer holidays could be paying extra simply to sit next to their own children, as Ryanair comes under investigation over a controversial family seating policy. The budget airline is facing scrutiny from the UK's competition watchdog over claims families are being charged fees that can add to the cost of a holiday before they've even left the ground. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a probe into whether Ryanair's family seat charges comply with consumer law and aviation rules. Why is Ryanair being investigated? According to the CMA, Ryanair requires at least one parent travelling wi…

Ryanair Drops Family Seating Fees Following CMA Probe News Ryanair Drops Family Seating Fees Following CMA Probe Jun 27, 2026 • 7 min read By Rolando Herrera The commercial passenger aviation sector in Europe is witnessing an extraordinary and highly public turnaround, as one of the world’s most profitable budget carriers reluctantly adjusts its ancillary fee structures under intense pressure from consumer watchdogs. On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Dublin based airline Ryanair officially announced that it is dropping its controversial and long standing practice of charging parents mandatory fees to secure adjacent seating with their young children. The significant change to the carrier’s family seating policy (a set of airline rules and algorithms that govern where parents and children are allocated seats during the flight reservation and boarding processes) represents a major victory for consumer advocacy groups and family vacationers ahead of the busy summer season. For modern air travelers, holiday planners, and families preparing to fly across European transit corridors, the sudden elimination of these seating charges represents a substantial financial relief. Under the carrie…