The UK government has committed to banning airlines from charging fees for children under 14 to sit next to a parent or accompanying adult. This change in law is part of the Civil Aviation Bill and is expected to be implemented before the start of next year's school summer holidays.
Consumer group Which? has campaigned for nearly a decade against airlines requiring parents to pay to sit with their children. Which? highlighted that separating children from parents during flights could pose a safety risk.
Ryanair, which had previously defended its policy of charging one adult a fee for a reserved seat while children under 12 received free reserved seats next to them, changed its policy in June 2026. Which? had formally escalated the matter to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2025.