UPDATE: Ryanair has now changed its family seating policy after the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into its mandatory parent-child seating fee. Under the revised policy, parents traveling with young children can avoid paying extra to sit together, though those free seats will generally be assigned after check-in and are likely to be toward the rear of the aircraft. Families who want to choose specific seats, including seats farther forward, can still pay to do so. BBC reports the change follows regulatory scrutiny over whether Ryanair was effectively charging parents for something the airline was already required to facilitate.

Ryanair insists this is only a minor policy tweak and says its previous approach was lawful, with CEO Michael O’Leary saying he would “reluctantly adjust to this industry standard.” Even so, the shift rather undercuts the carrier’s earlier posture that the CMA probe was “bogus.” The investigation is not necessarily over, particularly concerning past charges, but going forward this looks like a win for families who simply want to sit with their children without paying a mandatory seat fee.

My original story is below.

Ryanair is under investigation in the UK over its policy of making parents pay to sit next to their children, a practice the budget carrier defends as lawful and family-friendly. I have to admit that I am very sympathetic to Ryanair here.

Ryanair Faces UK Investigation Over Charging Parents To Sit With Children

Ryanair is facing a UK competition investigation over the way it charges parents to sit next to their children.

The Competition and Markets Authority is looking into whether Ryanair’s “mandatory family seat” charge may violate consumer law by forcing parents to pay for something the airline may already be required to do under aviation safety and disability rules. There is also disclosure concerns surrounding mandatory all-in pricing.

Under Ryanair’s policy, at least one parent or accompanying adult must sit next to children between the ages of two and 11. To accomplish that, the adult must purchase a reserved seat, typically costing about £8 each way. Ryanair says that once the adult purchases that reserved seat, up to four children on the same booking can be seated next to that adult for free.

That is Ryanair’s defense: it is not charging for the children’s seats, only for the adult’s seat reservation.

But the CMA is asking whether that distinction actually matters if the adult seat fee is mandatory in order to comply with family seating requirements. The regulator is also looking at whether the fee is clearly disclosed upfront or “dripped” into the booking process later.

The BBC reports that the CMA understands Ryanair is the only major airline flying from the UK that imposes this sort of charge.

Ryanair, predictably, is not amused. The airline called the investigation “bogus” and says its family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations.

Ryanair’s Defense Is Technically Plausible, But Also Very Ryanair

Ryanair’s argument is not entirely silly. The airline is not charging a separate seat fee for each child. It requires one adult to pay for a reserved seat, then allows up to four children to sit next to that adult for free.

On one level, that is not the worst family seating policy in the world. At least it guarantees that children are not scattered around the cabin, which is better than the game of musical chairs that some airlines still play with families.

But it is also classic Ryanair.

Advertise the lowest possible fare, then charge for everything else…the business model is not a secret. Ryanair has made billions by separating transportation itself from everything adjacent. The question here is whether sitting a young child next to a parent is really an optional extra, like choosing row 4 instead of row 22, or whether it is part of the basic product when a family books air travel, like a seatbelt.

Critics of Ryanair understandably argue that a parent sitting next to a five-year-old is not optional like extra legroom or a window seat with a view. It is basic common sense…

Should Airlines Charge Families To Sit Together?

Of all the ancillary fee issues, the issue of family seating is one that I struggle with the most.

I have no issue with airlines charging for seat assignments in general, especially on ultra-low-cost carriers. If you want to choose a specific seat, pay for it. If you do not care, take what you are assigned.

But families with young children are different.

We can all agree that a four-year-old should not be sitting alone next to strangers while a parent is six rows away. That is bad for the child, bad for the parent, bad for the strangers, and bad for the crew who will inevitably have to sort it out onboard.

From a safety perspective, it also makes sense for a parent to be seated next to a young child. In an emergency, who is going to help the child? The random passenger next to him? A flight attendant during an evacuation? Of course not. The parent should be there.

But I do understand Ryanair’s point. Ryanair will say that families still save money overall because its fares are so low. Even with the seat fee, Ryanair may still be significantly cheaper than British Airways or even easyJet. It seems to me that if families wish to book on Ryanair, they should expect to all pay for seating as part of the bargain because it is irresponsible parenting to even consider leaving your children separated from you.

I don’t think regulators are necessarily wrong to question whether Ryanair is charging for something that public policymakers have placed on the same level as safety, but I also don’t think that Ryanair should be compelled to undercut its business model for a seating issue: if parents want seating to be included with their ticket price, they can book with British Airways or another full-service carrier.

You see the tension?

In any case, if a charge is mandatory, it should be disclosed clearly and upfront.

CONCLUSION

Ryanair is under investigation in the UK over its policy requiring parents to pay for a reserved adult seat in order to sit next to children aged two to 11. Ryanair says its policy is lawful, saves families money, and allows up to four children to sit next to the adult for free once that adult seat is purchased.

While we can all agree that when young children are involved, sitting next to a parent should not be treated like an optional upgrade, how to handle this is a matter of debate in which reasonable minds can disagree.

Families should not be nickel-and-dimed for something that is both common sense and arguably part of basic onboard safety, but families should also not expect a budget carrier which depends on ancillary fees to stay afloat to subsidize its decision to fly on the carrier.

So what’s the answer? I’m still thinking about it…

image: Ryanair

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