The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Ryanair's practice of charging parents to reserve seats next to their children on flights, including where it relates to disability obligations. The probe will examine whether the budget airline's "mandatory family seat" requirement breaches consumer law.

Ryanair stipulates that at least one adult flying with children aged two to eleven must reserve a seat, typically costing around £8 per flight on each leg. The CMA is assessing whether this effectively forces parents to pay for the airline to meet child safety and disability responsibilities required by aviation regulations.

The watchdog's investigation will also consider whether the term is unfair under consumer protection rules. Contract terms can be deemed unfair if they tilt rights and responsibilities heavily in favour of the business, and such terms are not legally binding. The CMA has powers to take enforcement action and, under a new regime, can fine companies up to 10% of their global turnover or £300,000, whichever is higher.

Evidence gathered so far suggests the family seating policy is applied on most of Ryanair's UK routes, including those from Northern Ireland. The airline is reportedly the only major UK operator to impose such a charge; others either offer free seat allocation for children accompanied by an adult or assign family seats automatically during booking.

Ryanair's website promotes "free reserved seats for kids under 12", but parents must pay a booking fee to secure those seats. The CMA will scrutinise whether this fee is added during the booking process in a way that hides the total cost. Consumer law requires businesses to display a total price that includes all unavoidable charges upfront.

Hayley Fletcher, Senior Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, said that families often save to afford a holiday and that extra charges can quickly increase the overall price. She said regulators have repeatedly told companies to make total costs clear, warning that those who fail face potential action.

The investigation forms part of the CMA's wider efforts to ease cost-of-living pressures. ABTA research cited by the authority found that almost a third of people planned to cut holiday spending last year. Since its enhanced consumer powers took effect, the CMA has launched probes into 15 businesses across various sectors.

The CMA said its inquiry is at an early stage and no conclusions have been reached. The outcome could range from a finding of unlawful conduct and imposed remedies to the case being closed. An update is expected within six months.

Ryanair does not apply the mandatory family seat fee on flights to and from Italy, following intervention by that country's aviation authority. In some limited cases, the CMA noted, parents flying with the airline may be seated with their children at no extra cost, and this will be examined during the investigation.