Ryanair has confirmed a major change to its family seating policy, allowing adults to sit next to children under 12 for free after check-in. The move eliminates the airline's "mandatory family seat" fee, which had previously cost parents between £4.50 and £13.50 per flight, typically around £8.
What was the old Ryanair family seating rule?
Under the previous system, every group travelling with children was required to have at least one adult pay a reservation fee for a designated family seat. This fee varied from £4.50 to £13.50 per Ryanair flight, with the average cost landing at approximately £8. Once that fee was paid, the adult could reserve seats for up to four children at no extra cost. The policy applied to all Ryanair flights and was intended to guarantee that families could sit together at the time of booking.
The airline, which faces competition from Easyjet, Jet2, TUI, Wizz Air and other budget carriers, argued that this system provided certainty for parents. However, critics saw it as an unavoidable extra charge for families.
How does the new policy work?
Ryanair now offers adults the option to sit with children under 12 for free after they have completed check-in. These complimentary seats are likely to be located at the rear of the aircraft, as front row seats tend to be reserved for other purposes. The change applies to all Ryanair flights, and no additional booking steps are needed beyond standard check-in procedures.
Finance expert Martin Lewis praised the change, explaining: "If you're travelling with a child under 12 on a Ryanair flight, you can now sit next to them for free instead of having to pay to reserve a seat. It follows the launch of an official investigation into Ryanair's seat charges for parents." Lewis also noted that under the old rules, the fee was between £4.50 and £13.50, and that the system had now been updated.
Why did Ryanair decide to change its seating rules?
The policy shift was announced in June, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Ryanair, described as Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, initially dismissed the CMA probe as "bogus". Nevertheless, the airline has now agreed to adjust its seating arrangements to align with what it calls an "industry standard".
Chief Executive Michael O'Leary stated that the airline would "reluctantly adjust to this industry standard", while maintaining that its previous policy fully complied with regulations and gave families certainty about their seating at the time of booking. O'Leary had previously claimed that the CMA had targeted Ryanair's family seating policy, which he said was considered by consumers to be the most progressive and transparent in Europe. He expressed disappointment that the airline is now adopting a policy that is less customer-friendly simply because it is the industry standard.
What does this mean for families flying with Ryanair?
The free parent seats will be placed at the back of the plane, a point O'Leary acknowledged. He warned that families may have to wait until after check-in to learn their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated in the rear cabin. In his words: "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."
From a practical standpoint, families making new bookings from last Thursday onwards will benefit from the change. This means those planning flights for the coming months can expect to save up to £13.50 per flight, or typically £8, without sacrificing the ability to sit with their young children. However, passengers hoping for premium front-row seating may be disappointed, as the complimentary allocation is generally in the rear section of the aircraft.
The update affects new bookings only; families who had already paid for seat reservations under the previous policy will not receive automatic refunds. Industry observers note that Ryanair's move may prompt other airlines to review their own family seating charges, especially given the CMA's growing attention to hidden extras in air travel.
