Following an examination, Ryanair modified its family seating policy to permit parents to sit near to their young children without having to pay a seat reservation fee. Following check-in, adults traveling with children who do not want to pay for a reserved seat will now be informed of their free seat allocation, according to Ryanair, which is consistent with the majority of other European airlines.
Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, stated that the airline would “reluctantly adjust to this industry standard” but maintained that its long-standing policy completely complied with the law and had provided “certainty” to families.
It follows the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) announcement that it was investigating whether the policy violated consumer law. The CMA stated that it will continue its inquiry and examine if the airline’s revised seating policy conforms with the law. It said at the time it was looking at whether the airline’s “approach to seat reservations may mean parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety and disability‑related obligations as set out under aviation rules – and will investigate to determine whether or not this practice is in line with consumer law”.
It further stated that other airlines offered to automatically assign seats together during booking or to seat kids adjacent to a parent or guardian for free. Families loved Ryanair’s policy, according to the airline, because it guaranteed them a seat at the time of booking.
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