The charge of around 9.27 euros per trip to ensure that parents and children travel together on Ryanair flights is being analyzed by British authorities, in a process that raises doubts about commercial practices in air transport low cost. The investigation focuses on how the fee is applied and communicated to consumers during booking.
According to the news portal, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into Ryanair to assess whether the fee associated with the so-called “mandatory family seat” may be forcing parents to pay for a service that, in practice, would be necessary to comply with safety and child protection rules.
The regulatory body analyzes whether this charge can be considered an unfair clause in light of consumer protection legislation, as well as whether the cost is presented transparently at the time of purchase. The CMA also highlights that it wants to understand whether value is only “added” at the end of the booking process, rather than appearing clearly from the start.
Airline position
Ryanair rejects any irregularity and defends that the model complies with current legislation. In a statement cited by the news agency Reuters, the company states that “Ryanair’s family seating policy is in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations”.
The company also adds that it does not charge a fee for children traveling alongside parents or adult companions, highlighting that passengers who choose assigned seats follow the same fare logic applied to all adults.
In a further clarification, the carrier says: “Like all adults selecting a reserved seat, adults traveling with children pay a reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats next to them for up to four children on the same reservation, for FREE.”
What is at stake in practice
The CMA counters that other airlines guarantee children’s seats alongside their parents at no additional cost, either through the automatic allocation of seats during check-in or through internal policies that avoid additional charges in this type of situation.
According to the same authority, the investigation is part of a broader set of actions aimed at evaluating practices that could increase the cost of living for consumers, with special attention to the most vulnerable passengers. For now, there is no conclusion about a possible violation of the law by Ryanair, and the process is still preliminary.
The company, for its part, states that it hopes to “deny” the accusations and maintain the current seat allocation model, while the regulatory process remains under analysis.
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