The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it is examining whether the fees—typically around £8 per journey—could be considered “unfair” under consumer protection law. The concern centres on whether families are being required to pay extra for seating arrangements that may effectively be linked to safety or regulatory obligations.
According to the CMA, Ryanair’s booking terms require that a parent must sit with a child aged between two and 11 years. This is enforced through what the airline describes as a “mandatory family seat,” which comes with an additional charge for the parent.
However, the watchdog stressed that it is still early in the process and no findings have been made. It said it has “reached no conclusions about whether Ryanair has broken the law,” and the investigation is ongoing.
Airline Defends Policy, Calls Probe ‘Bogus’
Ryanair pushed back strongly against the inquiry, rejecting the premise of the investigation and defending its pricing structure.
The airline said adults travelling with children pay for one reserved seat, but can then select adjacent seats for up to four children on the same booking at no additional cost. It also argued that its system fully complies with aviation and consumer regulations.
In a sharply worded response, Ryanair described the CMA’s move as a “bogus CMA investigation” and accused the UK government of political posturing. The airline said the probe was “a failed effort by the Starmer Govt to pretend it cares about consumers when it has failed to abolish APD [Air Passenger Duty],” which it claims would reduce fares and support the wider aviation sector.
Ryanair added that it “looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims during this bogus investigation.”
Watchdog Focuses on Pricing Transparency and Hidden Costs
The CMA said it will assess whether Ryanair’s approach to family seating could be forcing consumers to pay for services that should be included under aviation safety or accessibility requirements.
It is also investigating whether the charges are clearly disclosed during the booking process or “dripped” in later stages, potentially misleading customers about the total cost of their journey.
Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s director of consumer protection, said extra fees can significantly impact family travel budgets.
“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,” she said.
She added that regulators expect airlines to show full pricing upfront, warning that firms failing to do so face enforcement action.
Industry Reaction and Consumer Backing for Probe
Consumer advocacy groups have welcomed the scrutiny. Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, said the airline has “repeatedly highlighted Ryanair’s harsh approach to separating families and making parents pay a fee to sit next to children as young as three.”
He added that the airline “doesn’t have to wait for the outcome of the CMA’s investigation” and could stop the charges immediately if it chose to.
The CMA also noted that other airlines operating from the UK generally seat children with parents either automatically or without additional fees, highlighting Ryanair as an outlier in the market.
Wider Cost-of-Living Angle and Possible Penalties
The investigation forms part of the CMA’s broader push to reduce hidden costs that contribute to household expenses, particularly in travel and essential services.
Under its expanded enforcement powers, the regulator can impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover if consumer law breaches are proven, raising the stakes significantly for airlines and other large operators under scrutiny.