Ryanair to allow parents flying with young children to avoid seat fee

By Neil Lancefield, Press Association Transport Correspondent

Ryanair has adjusted its family seating policy after an investigation was launched into its charging parents to sit with their children on flights.

The airline said the “minor policy tweak” means “free parent seats” will be available in the rear of its aircraft for future bookings.

Earlier this month, UK watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had opened an investigation to determine whether Ryanair’s policy at the time was “in line with consumer law”.

Ryanair previously required parents travelling with children aged between two and 11 to pay to reserve what it referred to as a mandatory family seat.

Their children were then allocated seats next to or near them free of charge.

The fee for a mandatory family seat was typically about £8 (€9.28) each way, the CMA said.