Ryanair has announced a change to its family seating policy, effective from Thursday, June 25, to comply with European regulations. Under the new rule, adults travelling with children who do not wish to pay for reserved seats will receive free seat allocations after check-in, with families likely seated towards the rear of the aircraft.
Policy Adjustment Details
The airline described the move as a "tweak" to its long-standing policy, aligning it with industry standards across Europe. Families opting for random allocation will be informed of their seats post-check-in, while those wanting premium front-row seats can still pay a reservation fee. This mirrors practices at other carriers like Easyjet, Jet2, and TUI, which also operate from Birmingham Airport (BHX).
Ryanair CEO Criticises Regulators
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary criticised the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for targeting the airline's family seating policy, which he called "the most progressive and transparent in Europe." He stated: "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." O’Leary added that the CMA is forcing Ryanair to adopt a "less transparent and less consumer-friendly" policy, simply because it is the industry standard.
Impact on Families
Under the revised policy, families may have to wait until after check-in to discover their seat allocation, increasing the likelihood of being seated at the rear of the cabin. O’Leary remarked: "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." He concluded that while the CMA may claim progress for consumers, most passengers will not notice the change.
