How the Ryanair ‘drip pricing’ allegations could impact British expat families in Spain

Following an investigation into Ryanair over allegations that parents are being charged to sit with their children, new questions and concerns are swirling about the emergence of surprise fees when travelling with budget airlines, and whether expatriate families are truly travelling low-cost. 

The allegations: ‘Drip pricing,’ hidden fees, and surprise costs for families

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline and one of the budget options of choice for many families travelling together, is currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority or CMA, over a policy that allegedly charges parents to sit with their children. Under the airline’s terms and conditions, children between the ages of 2 and 11 must sit with at least one of their parents, but this rule allegedly incurs a fee.

The investigation is setting out to determine whether Ryanair is carrying out a practice known as drip pricing, in which the true cost of the product or service (in this case, a flight) is not presented until the end, and extra charges are added as the customer advances through the booking process.

Ryanair denounces the investigation as ‘bogus,’ stating they comply by the law

This practice is illegal in the UK, and businesses are required by law to show a total price, including all inevitable charges, for the sake of consumer transparency.

The CMA has conceded that Ryanair does not apply the fee on every flight and that, in a limited number of cases, parents can be seated with their children for free.

However, Ryanair has described the investigation as “bogus” and states that their “family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations and saves families.”

“Ryanair does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent or accompanying adult. 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 company stated.

The impact for the people who use budget airlines the most: Frequently-flying expat families taking the hit?

If the investigation yields unfavourable results for Ryanair, the results may take on a special significance for families of British expatriates living in Spain, who often take flights between the two countries and rely on low-budget airlines like Ryanair to carry out their journeys. Ryanair provides options of flights to the UK from major Spanish cities, including Alicante, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona, and Palma, and as such, the airline carries millions of passengers between the two countries per year.

However, for the UK nationals living in Spain, these surprise fees and hidden costs could stack up over time, as regular trips back to the UK (often multiple times a year for birthdays, holidays, and emergency travel) are part of expat life and what is often marketed as low-cost or low-budget travel becomes significantly more expensive the moment the passenger arrives at the payment page.

Additionally, the seat-selection charges may disproportionately affect families travelling with children; in many cases, parents feel compelled to pay additional fees to guarantee they can sit next to their children, particularly on longer flights or when the kids are younger. Without paying, families may be automatically assigned separate seats.

For expat families budgeting carefully for trips between the UK and Spain, the concept of “drip pricing,” which adds fees for priority boarding baggage allowances, and seat selection can increase the total price and turn the trusted budget option into a major dealbreaker for those who rely on it the most.