The British regulator has launched an investigation into Ryanair over the practice of charging parents for the opportunity to sit next to their children during flights.
Europe's largest low-cost airline Ryanair is under investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The agency is examining whether the charge of around £8 for selecting 'mandatory family seats' violates consumer protection laws. This was reported by The Guardian.
The issue concerns a practice where, according to the airline's terms, one parent is required to sit next to their child, including children with disabilities. For this, the regulator claims, passengers are forced to pay an additional fee for each segment of the flight.
The CMA states that it will investigate whether such a scheme constitutes an 'unfair contract term' and whether it creates an imbalance between the rights of the company and consumers. The regulator will also focus on the transparency of pricing when booking tickets.
Ryanair, for its part, claims that it does not charge a separate fee specifically for seating children next to their parents, and that the fee is related to the selection of specific seats within the standard booking system.
According to the regulator, the cost of a 'family seat' can vary from €4.50 to €13.50 and is applied on most routes from the UK. For other passengers, seat selection remains optional.
