UK watchdog investigates Ryanair over paid seating for parents and children

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair after complaints over a fee charged to seat parents next to their children, according to The Guardian. The regulator says the airline requires at least one parent to sit with children, including children with disabilities, but charges 8 pounds per flight to arrange that seating.

The CMA will examine whether that requirement amounts to an unfair term that breaches consumer protection law. Ryanair’s terms say at least one parent must sit with children aged 2 to 11, and the charge applies separately on each flight. For all other passengers, reserving a seat in advance is optional, which the watchdog says could leave some customers at an unfair disadvantage.

Ryanair dismissed the probe as a “false investigation” and said it expects to “disprove these false claims.” The airline said the fee is simply for pre-booking a specific seat and that its policy complies with “all relevant laws and regulations” while saving families money.

The company also said families can choose to reserve one seat and then select nearby seats for up to four children at no extra cost. Other airlines, however, do not charge parents to sit with children and automatically assign adjacent seats during booking.