Following the new EU rule fixing family seating policy, Ryanair confirmed that its own rules fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations. Ryanair does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent or accompanying adult.
Like all adults who select a reserved seat, adults traveling with children pay one reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats beside them for up to 4 children on the same booking free of charge.
This means that parents traveling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat – at a discounted rate – but pay nothing for the 4 other reserved seats for the children traveling with them. This policy has given families certainty of seat allocation at the time of booking, which families have valued as much as they have valued Ryanair’s lowest fares.
For bookings on Ryanair made from June 25, adults traveling with children, who do not wish to select or pay for a reserved seat, are advised of their (free of charge) seat allocation after they have checked in for their flight, as is the case with most other airlines in Europe.
Families opting for this random allocation of seats beside each other are likely to be seated towards the rear of the aircraft cabin, as front rows tend to be reserved and sell out first.
Families who prefer to choose their seats at the time of booking and secure premium front rows will be allowed to do so by paying a seat reservation fee, in line with the policy applied by most other European airlines.
This minor policy tweak will align Ryanair’s family seating policy with that of most other EU airlines, which responds “to the desire of Europe’s regulators to stifle innovation and progress” tells the airline in a statement. The tweak will be revenue-neutral for Ryanair.
“Forcing Ryanair to adopt the less consumer-friendly family seating policy”
The new EU rule could not go without a comment from infuriated Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary:
“European regulators such as the UK CMA have consistently failed consumers by ignoring blatant anti-consumer reselling of inflated air fares by unauthorised OTAs, overcharging by airport monopolies and service failures by Europe’s ATCs. The CMA has now targeted our family seating policy which has 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.
We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don’t want to waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand what is in the best interest of UK and Europe’s consumers. Under our revised family seating policy, families may have to wait until after they have checked in to find out their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated at the rear of the cabin but at least the CMA will be able to claim they have done something for consumers, but sadly most consumers won’t notice.”
