Ryanair has reversed its policy on mandatory seat assignment for families after sustained pressure from consumer advocacy groups and scrutiny from EU competition authorities. The Irish low-cost carrier, which had previously charged families extra to sit together, will now provide adjacent seats for adults travelling with young children at no additional cost. The concession applies to all flights departing from EU member states, covering the majority of the airline’s network.
The decision vindicates a long-running campaign by organisations including the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and Italy’s Altroconsumo, which formally petitioned the European Commission last year. Consumer groups argued that Ryanair’s practice of random seat allocation, which effectively forced families to pay a premium for group seating, contravened the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. The directive, which prohibits misleading or aggressive sales tactics, has been used as a legal lever in several sectoral disputes.
The Ryanair case follows a pattern of EU-level consumer action forcing operational changes in the aviation sector. In 2019, the commission secured commitments from major airlines to end dynamic pricing for wheelchair passengers. Yet the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) remains an outlier.
Unlike its continental counterparts, the CMA has not formally investigated Ryanair’s seating policy, despite receiving complaints from British consumer groups. The UK’s withdrawal from the EU has removed the automatic applicability of rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Westminster must now legislate to replicate consumer protections previously derived from Brussels.
A CMA spokesperson said the authority would ‘monitor developments closely’, but stopped short of committing to a formal investigation. The discrepancy between EU enforcement and UK vigilance is notable. Since Brexit, the CMA has been slow to adopt the quasi-regulatory powers it inherited from EU bodies.
Consumer advocates argue that the Ryanair reversal may serve as a catalyst for more assertive domestic action. The policy change will apply to flights from 1 November. The company said it would allocate ‘contiguous seats’ to children under 12 years old and their guardians, subject to availability at check-in.
The measure does not extend to passengers aged 12 to 15, nor does it cover non-EU flights. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary described the revision as ‘a commercial alignment with consumer expectations’, while acknowledging that regulatory pressure had accelerated the decision. The impact on the company’s ancillary revenue stream, which accounted for nearly 30% of its total income in the last financial year, remains uncertain.
Analysts suggest that the loss of seating fees may be offset by increased passenger loyalty. The episode underscores a broader shift in the balance of power between budget carriers and their customers. EU enforcement mechanisms, while imperfect, have demonstrated a capacity to hold dominant market players to account.
The question now is whether the UK’s competition authorities will match this ambition.
