The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a formal investigation into Ryanair’s policy of charging parents to guarantee seats next to their children, it announced on 11 June. Although the probe is taking place under UK consumer-protection law, any enforcement could have significant spill-over effects in Ireland, where Ryanair is headquartered and regulated for aviation safety. The CMA believes that automatically allocating separated seats and then charging between €4.50 and €13.50 per person to move may constitute unfair commercial practice. The regulator will examine booking-engine algorithms, disclosure of fees and whether vulnerable passengers were misled. It has the power to impose fines of up to 10 % of global turnover and to secure consumer redress. For Irish outbound travellers the findings could lead to refunds and changes in seating policy across Ryanair’s 550-aircraft fleet, potentially easing family travel costs this summer. Corporate travel managers booking on Ryanair’s lowest fares should also note any change, as extra-seat fees are often a hidden driver of total trip cost in expense data. Ryanair said it would “co-operate fully” but insisted its family-seating policy prioritises safety by ensuring at least one adult sits adjacent to a child under 12. The airline added that any changes would apply network-wide, not just on UK routes. The CMA expects to publish provisional findings by October; parallel action by Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has not been ruled out.
