Ryanair forces parents with young children to pay £8 per flight for reserved seats

RYANAIR passengers travelling with a young child will have to pay extra for a reserved seat, the airline has announced.

Under the low-cost carrier’s existing rules all passengers can choose to save money by having their seats randomly allocated. But the Dublin-based airline said this had led to “boarding issues” as crews tried to re-seat adults and children who had been separated.

From September 1, adults travelling with children under 12 years old will have to purchase a reserved seat.

A standard reserved seat costs £8 per flight, according to Ryanair’s web- site. Children under 12 will receive a reserved seat free of charge.

The airline’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: “Ryanair is Europe’s No 1 airline for families and this summer all customers are enjoying fares that are 10 per cent lower than last year. That’s a €4 (£3.37) saving on every flight and these changes will allow parents to save another €4 for every one of their children travelling together.

“It will also allow families to select their preferred seats at the time of booking, check-in for their flights up to 30 days prior to departure and fly safe in the knowledge that they are getting Europe’s lowest air fares, while ensuring that they always sit with their children,” Mr Jacobs said. “This will also prevent other customers who have chosen to purchase a seat of their own from being displaced on board.”

Parents have complained on Twitter about their children being made to sit in a different row. One woman wrote on Wednesday: “We have allocated seating but 4yr old has been put in the row in front.”

A man tweeted earlier this year: “@ Ryanair is happy to put two under 10 year old children together with no adults – common sense?!?”