Ryanair Overhauls Family Seating After Regulator Scrutiny
TL;DR
Ryanair updated its family seating policy following a CMA probe: starting June 25, 2026, adults who don’t pay for advance seat reservations will receive a free seat allocation at check-in (often toward the rear), while those who book seats in advance must pay full price for all family members. The airline says the move aligns with European norms and is revenue-neutral, but CEO Michael O’Leary criticizes regulators for pushing what he calls an anti-consumer “industry standard.”
- Ryanair Passive Aggressively Changes Family Seating Policy, Blasts Regulators One Mile at a Time
- Ryanair Stops Charging for Parents to Sit With Their Children The New York Times
- Ryanair says it will reluctantly not charge parents to sit next to children BBC
- RYANAIR TWEAKS SEAT ALLOCATION FOR FAMILIES TO MATCH INDUSTRY STANDARD Ryanair Corporate
- Ryanair scraps family seating fees after regulator launches probe Financial Times
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