Ryanair says it will reluctantly let parents sit with children for free
Under the old policy, Ryanair said adults traveling with children paid for one reserved seat and could choose seats next to them for free for up to four children.
This usually results in a charge of £8 each way, the CMA said when it launched the investigation earlier this month.
It said at the time that the airline was looking at “whether its approach to seat reservations would amount to charging parents to meet the airline’s child safety and disability obligations set out under aviation rules, and that it would investigate to determine whether this practice complies with consumer law.”
He added that other airlines offer to seat children next to a parent or guardian for free or automatically assign seats for free at the time of booking.
Ryanair said its policy gives families certainty about where they will sit when booking, which they value.
It was stated that “empty parent seats” will now be available at the back of the aircraft, as front rows tend to be reserved.
It was stated that the “minor policy change” took effect on Thursday. The change is not expected to have an impact on Ryanair’s revenue.
O’Leary harshly criticized the CMA for targeting the family seating policy, which he said was “universally embraced by consumers as the most progressive and transparent policy in Europe”.
“Rather than promoting competitiveness and lower fares for consumers, the CMA is on a mission to force Ryanair to adopt the less transparent and less consumer-friendly family seating policy that many other airlines have in place, simply because it is the industry standard,” he said.
