Ryanair is under investigation for paying parents to stay with their children

European airline Ryanair is under investigation in the UK for charging parents fees to hold their children. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was looking into whether the accommodation fee, which parents could be charged in order for the airline to meet its child safety and disability obligations, was “unfair” under procurement rules.

Under Ryanair’s requirements, one parent or guardian is required to have children between the ages of 2-11 when flying, in what the airline calls a “valid family seat.” This placement method results in a fee – about $8 (about $10) per flight, according to the CMA – for parents to guarantee a seat next to their child. Seat reservations are good for some travelers.

UK consumer law requires businesses to show customers the full price of the ticket, rather than “low” additional fees separately at the time of booking. The CMA investigation will examine whether the approval of the seat of the family charged in violation of these requirements, and says it believes Ryanair is “the only major airline flying from the UK” to enforce such charges.

When Ryanair website offers free seats for children under 12, the CMA says parents and guardians are charged a fee to secure these seats. The UK competition watchdog also notes that Ryanair will no longer charge these fees for flights to and from Italy, after the flight. he lost his interest in 2024 against the ban introduced by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).

“Many families save money for a summer holiday and we know that extra money can quickly reduce the cost. Our investigation will look at Ryanair’s way of booking family seats and how the price is passed on to consumers to determine whether they are complying with consumer protection laws,” Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s director of consumer protection, said in a statement. “Over the past year, we have told businesses to ensure that their customers are shown full prices – those who do not face the real possibility of action from the CMA.”

In words to BBC newsRyanair said its family accommodation policy “fully complies with all relevant laws,” and it “looks forward to challenging the CMA’s allegations during the investigation.”