Ryanair changes family seating policy with new free seat allocation system for parents and children

Families flying with Ryanair will see a change to how their seats are allocated from today (Thursday, June 25), after Europe’s largest airline announced a tweak to its long-standing family seating policy.

The airline says parents who choose not to pay to reserve seats in advance will now receive their family seating allocation free of charge only after checking in for their flight, bringing its approach into line with what it describes as the industry standard across Europe.

While Ryanair insists children will still be seated beside a parent or accompanying adult at no extra cost, families choosing the free allocation option are now more likely to be seated towards the rear of the aircraft, where more seats are typically available.

The change applies to all new bookings made from June 25.

What is changing?

Until now, families wanting the certainty of knowing exactly where they would sit at the time of booking could pay for just one adult seat reservation at a discounted rate, with reserved seats beside that adult allocated free for up to four children on the same booking.

Under the revised system, families now have two options.

Those who do not wish to pay for seat selection will still receive seats together free of charge, but they will not find out their allocated seats until after checking in for their flight.

Families who want to choose specific seats in advance — including premium rows nearer the front of the aircraft — can continue to do so by paying Ryanair’s standard seat reservation fee.

The airline says this mirrors the approach taken by most other European airlines.

No charge for children to sit beside parents

Ryanair stressed that it has not introduced a charge for children to sit beside their parent or accompanying adult.

The airline said its family seating policy remains fully compliant with all relevant laws and regulations and continues to guarantee that children travelling on the same booking will be seated beside an adult without any additional charge for the children’s seats.

According to Ryanair, parents who choose to reserve seats only pay for one adult seat reservation, while reserved seats for up to four accompanying children remain free.

Airline blames regulators

Announcing the change, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary criticised European regulators, claiming they had forced the airline to abandon what he described as a more consumer-friendly system.

He said regulators had instead focused on Ryanair’s seating policy while failing to address what he described as inflated fares charged through unauthorised online travel agents, airport monopoly charges and ongoing air traffic control disruption across Europe.

O’Leary said:

“We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don’t want to waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand what is in the best interest of UK and Europe’s consumers.”

He added that under the revised policy, families “may have to wait until after they have checked in to find out their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated at the rear of the cabin.”

What it means for travellers

For passengers across Northern Ireland and elsewhere planning family holidays, the practical impact is straightforward.

Families who are happy to accept an automatically allocated seat will continue to sit together without paying a reservation fee, but they will no longer know where those seats are until check-in opens.

Those wanting certainty over their exact seating location — or wishing to secure seats nearer the front of the aircraft — will still need to pay to reserve them during the booking process.

Ryanair says the policy change will be revenue-neutral for the airline while continuing to allow families to benefit from its low-fare model.

As millions of passengers prepare for the busy summer travel season, the revised system is intended to align Ryanair’s family seating arrangements with those already used by many other airlines across Europe.