Ryanair make major change to seating policy

They made the change 'reluctantly'

The low-cost Irish airline is notorious for its cheap tickets as well as the measure it takes to maintain those low prices.

Ryanair is known for its no-frills approach to flying, stripping back to basics and charging for extras where it can.

The airlines' CEO Michael O'Leary has, of course, famously joked before about making people pay for the toilet or introduce standing tickets.

However, one of their more unpopular fees concerns that of paying to select your seat on a flight, notably when with children.

Now, the airline has changed the policy to allow for parents to sit next to their young children free of charge.

A big change to Ryanair's seating policy. Credit: Adobe Stock.

Adults travelling with children who do not wish to pay for a reserved seat will now be told of their free seat allocation after check-in.

Ryanair said this was in line with most other European airlines.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said it would "reluctantly adjust to this industry standard".

However, he insisted its long-standing policy fully complied with laws and had given families "certainty".

The change comes after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was looking into whether the policy was unfair under consumer law.

The CMA has said it would be testing if the new policy complies with the law and that its investigation is ongoing.

A reluctant change

Under the old rules, Ryanair said adults travelling with children paid one reserved seat fee, and could select seats beside them for up to four children for free.

Ultimately, for a return journey this meant a £16 extra fee.

The CMA said when it opened its investigation that it was looking into whether the "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".

As per Ryanair, its policy gave families certainty of where they would be sitting when they booked flights.

It said the "free parent seats" will now be available at the back of the aircraft, as front rows tend to be reserved.

The "minor policy tweak" came into effect today (Thursday, 25 June).

It does not expect the change to have an effect on Ryanair's revenue.

Targetting the CMA, O'Leary said that its family seating policy had been "universally embraced by consumers as the most progressive and transparent in Europe".

"Instead of 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 applied by most other airlines – just because it's the industry standard," he added.

Meanwhile, a CMA spokesperson said: "Ryanair claims its seating policy now complies with the law, and we'll test that thoroughly. If true, it's a win for families – who will no longer have to pay to sit with their children – and it shows the impact our new powers are having.

"But it doesn't change the fact families have been paying for 'mandatory family seats'. Our investigation remains ongoing."

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: "It's clear Ryanair is unhappy about being dragged into doing the right thing, so Which? will be monitoring the implications of this policy and whether all parents are seated next to their children without charge over the next few months."