The UK's competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Europe's biggest airline over the extra charges it places on parents who want to sit next to their own children on flights, according to Sky News.
The Competition and Markets Authority is looking at whether the carrier's seating policy treats families unfairly. The probe centres on the practice of splitting up family groups at check-in unless they pay a seat selection fee, a cost that can quickly mount up for households travelling together.
For a family of four, picking seats together on a return trip can add tens of pounds to the final bill. Parents have long complained that they feel pressured into paying because no one wants to risk a young child being sat several rows away from a parent on a busy plane.
The CMA has the power to demand changes if it finds the policy breaks consumer law. It can also seek court orders and, under new powers introduced this year, fine companies directly for treating customers unfairly without having to go through lengthy court action first.
Family seating fees have become one of the most talked about hidden costs in budget air travel. Several major European carriers operate similar systems, and consumer group Which? has previously warned that the charges are often unavoidable in practice, even though airlines describe them as optional.
Rules already in place across the UK and EU say that children should not be separated from a parent or guardian on safety grounds, particularly during take-off, landing and any emergency. The question for the regulator is whether shifting that responsibility onto parents through a paid add-on crosses a line.
Families heading abroad over the winter holidays are being urged to check the small print on seat allocation before booking and to compare the full price including extras, rather than relying on the headline fare. The CMA has not said when its findings will be published.