UK watchdog investigates Ryanair over fees to seat parents with children; airline defends policy

June 11 (Reuters) - Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into European budget airline Ryanair on Thursday over fees that parents must pay to sit with their children on flights.   

The Competition and Markets Authority said it is examining whether Ryanair's "mandatory family seat" charge, which typically costs around £8 ($10.70) each way, may be forcing parents to pay for the airline to meet its own child safety and disability obligations under aviation rules.

The watchdog will investigate whether the fee is an "unfair" contract term under consumer law and whether the charge is "dripped" during booking rather than shown upfront in the total price.

"Ryanair’s family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations," the airline said in an emailed statement. It also said it did not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent or accompanying adult and it looked forward to "disproving" the CMA's claims.

"Like all adults who select a reserved seat, adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats beside them for up to 4 children on the same booking FREE OF CHARGE," the airline said.

The regulator said, however, that other airlines offer to seat children with a parent or guardian without the need for a paid-for adult seat reservation, or allocate seats together automatically during booking for free.

The CMA said it has only started the probe, which forms part of its wider work to help ease cost-of-living pressures and protect vulnerable consumers, and has not reached a conclusion about whether Ryanair has broken the law.

($1 = £0.7475)

(Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Tomasz Janowski)