Ryanair will allow children to sit next to their parents on flights for FREE after airline backs down following investigation

Ryanair will allow children to sit next to their parents for free following a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into its seat reservation practices. The CMA examined whether Ryanair’s previous approach to charging for family seating breached consumer protection rules. Under the updated system, adults traveling with children who choose not to buy reserved seating will receive a notification of their complimentary seat assignment after check-in. The change takes effect immediately, and Ryanair said it aligns with standard practices among most European carriers. Previously, families paid a single reserved seat fee that covered adjacent seating for up to four children at no extra cost, which the CMA said typically resulted in charges of about £8 per direction of travel. Ryanair described the adjustment as a “minor policy tweak,” while a CMA spokesman said the investigation remains ongoing and families had still been paying for “mandatory family seats.”