Ryanair faces watchdog investigation over family seating fees for parents
Ryanair is facing scrutiny from the UK's competition watchdog over fees it charges parents who wish to sit alongside their children on flights. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced it will assess whether the practice is "in line with consumer law".Ryanair, however, has pushed back strongly, branding the investigation as "bogus" and a "failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumer law". The airline currently requires at least one parent to be seated next to a child aged between two and 11, according to the CMA.This is facilitated through what the watchdog describes as a mandatory "family seat", which typically costs around £8 - approximately €9 - per flight. Other passengers, by contrast, have the choice of whether to pay for a reserved seat.The CMA states that this policy applies across the majority of Ryanair's UK routes. The watchdog is now investigating whether this approach results in parents being charged for the "airline to meet its child safety and disability-related obligations".Furthermore, the CMA claims that Ryanair is the "only major airline" to levy such a charge on parents, noting that most airlines seat children and adults together without requiring a paid reservation, or simply allocate seats free of charge, reports the Express.Ryanair's website advertises "Free reserved seats for kids under 12", yet the CMA points out that parents and guardians are still required to pay a booking fee in order to access these seats. The investigation will scrutinise whether this charge is "dripped" throughout the booking journey, questioning if shoppers are shown the full price they'll ultimately pay.According to consumer law, companies must display a total price that encompasses all unavoidable fees.When charges are considered to be "dripped", it indicates that additional costs are frequently tacked on separately or at a later stage in the transaction. Preventing "dripping" enables shoppers to properly compare prices and grasp the "true cost" of their purchase, the CMA explains.The regulator emphasises it's at the "beginning" of its probe and hasn't drawn any conclusions about whether Ryanair has breached any regulations. Hayley Fletcher, Senior Director of Consumer Protection, commented: "Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price."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."For the past year, we've told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront – those who don't face the very real possibility of action from the CMA."The carrier maintains its policy adheres to UK consumer law and insists it doesn't "charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent". It further highlighted that "parents travelling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat".A spokesman told the PA news agency: "Ryanair's family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and saves families money when travelling on the UK's lowest fare airline."They added: "This bogus CMA investigation is a failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers when it has failed to abolish APD (air passenger duty) which would immediately deliver lower fares for all consumers and growth for the UK aviation, tourism and wider economy. Ryanair looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims."Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives... To add us as a preferred source, simply click here.
