Ryanair being investigated over fees to seat parents with children – business live
Introduction: Ryanair’s fees to seat parents with children under investigation
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.
Budget airline Ryanair is facing an investigation of the charges that parents must pay to sit with their children on flights.
Britain’s competition authority is investigating whether Ryanair is imposing an unfair contract term under consumer law, by insisting that parents (or indeed any adult) pay £8 for a reserved seat, to guarantee that their children sit with them.
The CMA says this morning:
Ryanair’s terms and conditions require at least one parent to sit with their children aged 2-11 when they fly. This is done through what Ryanair calls a “mandatory family seat”, which the parent must pay for in order to secure a seat next to them for their child.
For all other passengers, reserving a seat is optional. This fee applies to both outbound and return flights and typically costs around £8 each way. CMA evidence suggests this approach to seating is used across the majority of Ryanair’s UK routes.
The investigation will examing whether parents are being unfairly charged for Ryanair to meet its child safety and disability‑related obligations as set out under aviation rules.
The CMA suggests that Ryanair is the only major airline flying out of the UK to impose this charge; others will seat children with a parent or guardian without the need for a paid-for adult seat reservation, or allocate seats together automatically for free during the booking process.
The regulator will also look into whether this is an example of ‘drip’ pricing, where extra charges pop up during a booking process.
The agenda
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Noon BST: Turkey interest rate decision
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1.15pm BST: European Central Bank interest rate decision
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1.30pm BST: US weekly jobless claims
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1.45pm BST: European Central Bank press conference
Key events
Ryanair’s family seat policy
You can see Ryanair’s Family Seat Policy online here.
It explains that up to four under-12s in a group can get a reserved seat for free – as long as they’re with an adult who has bought a reserved seat (for around £8, the CMA says).
The policy says:
For safety reasons, children under the age of 12 must sit beside an accompanying adult, and infants (aged 8 days to 23 months inclusive) must sit on an accompanying adult’s lap.
It is mandatory for an adult travelling with children under 12 (excl. infants) to reserve a seat. A maximum of four children for every one adult on the same booking will receive a reserved seat free of charge. This ensures parents of young children sit together during the flight. This will also allow you to check-in for your flight 60 days before departure. It is not mandatory for any other adults or teenagers in the booking to reserve a seat, however they may choose to do so if they wish to seat with the rest of the family.
Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s senior director of consumer protection, explains why the regulator is concerned about Ryanair’s pricing:
Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price.
Our investigation will consider Ryanair’s approach to family seat reservations and how the cost is presented to consumers to determine whether they comply with consumer law.
For the past year, we’ve told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront – those who don’t face the very real possibility of action from the CMA.
Introduction: Ryanair’s fees to seat parents with children under investigation
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.
Budget airline Ryanair is facing an investigation of the charges that parents must pay to sit with their children on flights.
Britain’s competition authority is investigating whether Ryanair is imposing an unfair contract term under consumer law, by insisting that parents (or indeed any adult) pay £8 for a reserved seat, to guarantee that their children sit with them.
The CMA says this morning:
Ryanair’s terms and conditions require at least one parent to sit with their children aged 2-11 when they fly. This is done through what Ryanair calls a “mandatory family seat”, which the parent must pay for in order to secure a seat next to them for their child.
For all other passengers, reserving a seat is optional. This fee applies to both outbound and return flights and typically costs around £8 each way. CMA evidence suggests this approach to seating is used across the majority of Ryanair’s UK routes.
The investigation will examing whether parents are being unfairly charged for Ryanair to meet its child safety and disability‑related obligations as set out under aviation rules.
The CMA suggests that Ryanair is the only major airline flying out of the UK to impose this charge; others will seat children with a parent or guardian without the need for a paid-for adult seat reservation, or allocate seats together automatically for free during the booking process.
The regulator will also look into whether this is an example of ‘drip’ pricing, where extra charges pop up during a booking process.
The agenda
-
Noon BST: Turkey interest rate decision
-
1.15pm BST: European Central Bank interest rate decision
-
1.30pm BST: US weekly jobless claims
-
1.45pm BST: European Central Bank press conference
