Ryanair is facing a formal probe by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority after the airline was accused of unfairly charging parents to seat them next to their young children. The regulator confirmed on Monday it has opened an investigation into the budget carrier’s seating policy, which many families say forces them to pay extra fees of up to £15 to avoid being separated from their kids during flights.
The practice has sparked anger among consumer groups and working parents who argue that it places an unfair financial burden on families already facing soaring living costs. The CAA’s investigation will examine whether Ryanair’s policy breaches consumer protection laws, particularly regulations requiring airlines to accommodate families with children aged under 12.
Ryanair insists it complies with all rules and offers free adjacent seating for children when requested at check-in, but critics say the process is opaque and often results in families being split across the aircraft unless they pay the stand-out fee. Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has campaigned on the issue, called the practice a “tax on families” and welcomed the probe.
“Flying should not be a luxury reserved for the rich, but Ryanair’s greedy policy is pricing ordinary families out of holidays and visits to relatives,” she said. “This investigation must hold them to account.”
For many, the extra charge can add up to a significant proportion of their trip budget. Take Laura Goodwin, a mother of two from Manchester. She recently paid £45 to guarantee seats next to her three-year-old twins on a return flight to Spain. “It’s a lovely feeling when you board and find a stranger sitting where your child should be, and you have to haggle or pay up,” she told me. “It starts the holiday off on a stressful note. And with prices rising for everything, every pound counts.”
The CAA’s chief executive, Richard Moriarty, said the investigation would focus on whether Ryanair had made its seating policy clear and whether it complied with the law on “provision of information” and “unfair commercial practices.” He added: “We expect all airlines to do the right thing by families.”
Consumer rights group Which? has also submitted evidence to the probe, arguing that the policy exploits parents’ anxiety and that European and UK rules require airlines to seat children next to a parent or guardian at no extra cost. Ryanair faces fines or a court order if found in breach.
This is not the first time Ryanair has clashed with regulators. The airline was fined by Italian authorities in 2020 for similar practices and has been criticised by Spanish officials. Ryanair said it is “fully compliant with consumer law” and accused the CAA of “bowing to political pressure.” A spokesperson argued that the airline offers many passengers free random seats, and that families who inform staff at the gate are seated together without charge.
“Ryanair provides infant and children seating together with their parents for free as part of our gate seating policy,” the airline said. “Any passenger who requests this at the gate is always seated together free of charge.”
But many parents have reported being denied this option at check-in and forced to pay. The CAA investigation will review evidence from passengers and the airline’s data on how often free seating is provided. The outcome could set a precedent for how budget airlines treat families across Europe.
For Sarah Jenkinson, a union representative and mother from Leeds, the issue is also about fairness in the workplace. “You see more and more barriers being put in front of working families. We’re already squeezed on wages and now on every aspect of daily life,” she said. “This is a classic example of a big company putting profit before people.”
The CAA expects to conclude its investigation within six months. If Ryanair is found in breach, it could be forced to change its policy and pay compensation to affected customers. For now, the airline continues to operate as normal, but the probe throws a spotlight on whether the era of budget travel has come at the cost of basic family needs.
