The CMA is investigating Ryanair over family seating charges, including whether parents are paying fees tied to child safety obligations.
Ryanair is being investigated by the UK’s competition watchdog over charges imposed on parents who sit next to their children on flights.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it will examine whether the airline’s policy, which it said typically results in a fee of £8 each way, is unfair under consumer law. The regulator said the investigation has just begun and that it has reached no conclusion on whether Ryanair has broken the law.
At the centre of the inquiry is Ryanair’s requirement that a parent sit with a child aged between two and 11. The CMA said the airline handles this through what Ryanair calls a “mandatory family seat,” for which the parent pays a fee.
The watchdog said it will consider whether Ryanair’s approach means parents are being charged for the airline to meet child safety and disability-related obligations under aviation rules. It will also look at whether the mandatory family seat fee is introduced during the booking process in a way that prevents customers from seeing the full price upfront.
The CMA said it understood Ryanair was the only major airline flying from the UK to impose such a charge. Other airlines, it said, either offer to seat children next to a parent or guardian without a fee or allocate seats together automatically during booking for free.
Ryanair rejected the investigation, calling it “bogus” and saying its family seating policy fully complies with relevant laws. The airline said adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee but can choose seats beside them for up to four children on the same booking at no extra cost.
Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s director of consumer protection, said add-on fees can quickly increase the cost of a family holiday and said the regulator has warned businesses over the past year to show customers the total price upfront.
Consumer group Which? welcomed the investigation. Its travel editor, Rory Boland, said the group had repeatedly raised concerns about Ryanair’s approach to family seating and urged the airline to stop charging the fees before the inquiry concludes.
The investigation forms part of the CMA’s wider work on consumer costs. Under new powers, the regulator can fine companies up to 10% of global turnover if they breach consumer law.
Comments (0)