Ryanair is changing its seating policy for families. For bookings made from June 25, 2026, adults traveling with children can get seats together free of charge, provided they accept automatic seat assignment after check-in. This change seems straightforward, but it comes after the UK's competition regulator opened an investigation.

For travelers, the promise is clear: no more paying to sit next to their children. For tourism professionals, the issue is broader. This case demonstrates that airlines' ancillary fees, particularly those affecting families, are increasingly coming under scrutiny from regulatory authorities.

Summary

Ryanair changes its policy following the CMA investigation

On June 11, 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority, the UK's competition authority, announced it had opened an investigation into Ryanair. The regulator wanted to determine whether the airline's family seat booking policy complied with consumer law.

According to the CMA, Ryanair's conditions required at least one parent or guardian travelling with a child aged 2 to 11 to book a paid seat to guarantee seating next to the child. The regulator indicated that this "mandatory family seat" generally cost around £8 per flight, with prices displayed on Ryanair's website ranging from €4.50 to €13.50.

The CMA also stated that it understood Ryanair was the only major airline operating from the UK to apply this type of charge. However, it did not conclude at this stage that Ryanair had broken the law. The investigation will determine whether this clause could be considered unfair to consumers.

Ryanair is changing its family placement policy following an investigation by the British regulator.

What Ryanair is changing from June 25, 2026

Ryanair maintains that its family policy has always complied with applicable laws and regulations. However, the airline announced on June 25, 2026, a change to its family seat allocation system.

From now on, adults traveling with children who do not wish to pay for seat selection will be assigned seats free of charge after check-in. Children in the same booking will be seated next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost.

The distinction is important: this free service does not mean that families will be able to freely choose their seats on the plane. Ryanair specifies that families opting for automatic seat allocation will likely be placed towards the back of the cabin, as the front rows are more often reserved and sold first.

Seat selection remains an extra charge

The new rule does not eliminate paid seat reservations. Customers who want to choose their row, be seated at the front of the aircraft, or secure a specific location will still be able to pay for a reservation option.

The difference lies in the obligation. Before this change, the CMA (French Civil Aviation Authority) required parents to pay for a reserved seat to guarantee seating with their child. Since June 25th, Ryanair has offered a free alternative: accepting automatic seat allocation after check-in.

For travel agencies, online travel agencies (OTAs), and travel advisors, the message to convey to families must be very clear: sitting together can now be free. Choosing exactly where you sit, however, remains a paid service.

Michael O'Leary openly criticizes the regulator

Ryanair presents this change as a minor adjustment intended to align with the practices of other European airlines. The company also states that this change will have no impact on its revenue.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary strongly contested the CMA's approach. In the company's statement, he argued that the regulator was forcing Ryanair to adopt a family policy that was "less transparent and less consumer-friendly" than the one it had previously implemented.

The manager believes the old system offered families more certainty at the time of booking. With the new approach, families who don't pay will have to wait until check-in to find out their seat assignments.

Why this decision goes beyond the Ryanair case

According to the specialized press, this case illustrates the growing pressure on airlines regarding the transparency of ancillary charges. Baggage, seats, priority boarding, additional services: a significant part of the low-cost carriers' business model relies on paid options added to the base fare.

The issue becomes sensitive when these fees affect needs considered essential, such as allowing a child to travel next to an accompanying adult. This is precisely the point the CMA is examining: the line between a standard commercial option and a potentially unavoidable expense for some families.

The UK regulator also indicated that it would examine how the cost was presented during the booking process, particularly to verify whether the total price was displayed early enough. This issue of "drip pricing," meaning the gradual addition of fees, has become a major concern in consumer protection.

An investigation that is still open

Ryanair's announced change does not automatically close the case. The CMA indicated, when the investigation was launched, that it expected an update within six months. The regulator still needs to analyze the available information before deciding on the next steps.

Caution is therefore necessary. Ryanair has changed its policy, but this does not mean that the investigation is closed, nor that the regulator has definitively validated all of the company's past or present practices.

For travelers who have already paid for family seat fees, no automatic compensation has been announced in the publicly available information. Tourism professionals should therefore avoid promising refunds or retroactive measures that are not confirmed.

What families need to remember

The practical rule is simple. Children aged 2 to 11 must be seated next to an accompanying adult for safety reasons. Families can now choose between two options: pay to reserve specific seats, or accept a free allocation after check-in.

In the second case, children will be seated next to an adult on the same booking. However, other adults or teenagers on the booking may be seated separately. This information is available in Ryanair's official help section and should be taken into account when advising customers.

The change is therefore real, but it doesn't give families free choice of seat. It primarily creates a free alternative to the mandatory reservation of an adult seat, provided they accept a seat assigned by the airline.

A signal for tourism professionals

For travel agencies, this development necessitates a rapid update of sales scripts and the information provided to families. The mistake would be to summarize the measure with an overly broad statement such as: "Family seats are free on Ryanair.".

The more accurate formulation is more nuanced: Ryanair now allows families to be placed together for free via automatic allocation after check-in, but the precise choice of seats remains chargeable.

This nuance can avoid misunderstandings at the time of booking, especially during periods of high demand when families often seek to secure their comfort in advance.

Ryanair is opening a breach in the ancillary fees model

Ryanair's decision alone does not revolutionize European air transport. But it sets an interesting precedent. When a regulator targets a fee linked to a family situation, the airline eventually adapts its business practices, even while strongly contesting the authority's analysis.

For low-cost carriers, the challenge is clear: to continue selling options without giving the impression that certain fees are unavoidable. For regulators, the challenge is just as complex: to distinguish genuinely optional services from charges that can penalize certain categories of travelers.

In this case, Ryanair is keeping its paid seat model, but changing the most sensitive point for families. It's a limited change, but very symbolic.

Real change starts now

Ryanair has often built its strength on very low fares and a strategy of charging for additional services. This case shows that this model remains powerful, but that it is now being closely monitored by competition and consumer authorities.

For families, the new policy can reduce the cost of a trip, provided they accept less control over their accommodation. For tourism professionals, it confirms a fundamental trend: price transparency is becoming as strategic an issue as the price itself.

The change is therefore more subtle than it seems. Ryanair is not abandoning paid options. But the airline now admits that a family can travel together without automatically paying for a reserved seat.