Ryanair to Introduce Fees for Guaranteed Family Seating
Ryanair has announced that from November, parents will be charged an additional £10 per child per flight to guarantee seats together with their children. The policy change, confirmed by the airline on Monday, affects all bookings made after July 15, 2026, for travel from November 1 onward.
The new fee applies to both outbound and return flights and covers children aged 2 to 11. Passengers with infants under 2 years old are exempt, as they are required to sit on a parent's lap. Ryanair stated that the charge is necessary to cover the cost of reserving adjacent seats, which was previously included in the ticket price.
Consumer Groups Criticize the Move
Consumer advocacy group Which? condemned the decision, calling it a "money-grabbing tactic" that unfairly targets families. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: "Ryanair is once again finding new ways to squeeze extra cash out of passengers, this time by charging parents to sit with their young children. This is a safety issue as much as a comfort one, and it's outrageous that families are being penalized."
The airline defended the policy, arguing that it offers flexibility. A Ryanair spokesperson said: "Our new family seating option gives parents the choice to pay a small fee to guarantee seats together, or they can check in for free and we will do our best to seat families together, but without a guarantee."
Impact on Family Travel Costs
The additional charge could significantly increase the cost of family holidays. For a family of four traveling on a return flight, the fee would add £40 to the total fare. According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority, UK airlines carried over 30 million passengers on family bookings in 2025, with Ryanair accounting for approximately 15% of that market.
The airline's decision comes amid a broader trend of airlines introducing ancillary fees for services once considered standard. In 2024, Wizz Air introduced a similar charge for family seating, while easyJet continues to offer free seat allocation for families with children under 15.
How the Policy Works
Under the new rules, parents booking tickets for themselves and their children must select the "family seating" add-on during the booking process. The fee is non-refundable and applies per child per flight segment. If parents do not purchase the add-on, they will be assigned seats randomly during check-in, with no guarantee of sitting together.
Ryanair emphasized that the policy is optional and that families can still avoid the fee by checking in online and hoping for adjacent seats. However, the airline acknowledged that on busy flights, this may not always be possible.
