Flying on the cheap doesn’t have to mean sitting miles from your mates. A former Ryanair cabin crew member has shared a simple, above-board trick that often gets friends and couples seated together without paying the airline’s seat-selection charge.
How to sit together on Ryanair – without the seat fee
If you haven’t paid to reserve seats, don’t panic at the gate. Board as normal and ask politely once you’re on the aircraft. Former crew member and travel expert Jane Hawkes says cabin crew will usually help swap passengers around where it’s safe and practical to do so.
The key is timing and tone. Wait until you’re on board, let crew know you’re travelling together and ask nearby passengers whether they’d be happy to swap. Many are keen to move out of a middle seat, so you might find volunteers straight away. Crew can’t force a swap, but they’ll often broker one if it doesn’t delay departure.
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Important: this is not one for families with young children. If you’re travelling with under-12s, Ryanair’s mandatory family seating applies (see below), and you should book the required seats in advance.
When this trick works – and when it doesn’t
This approach suits adults travelling together on busier leisure routes where there are more middle seats to trade. It’s less likely on near-full flights, late boardings or when passengers have paid for specific spots (extra-legroom, front rows or exit seats).
Be flexible. You may end up a row apart or across the aisle rather than side-by-side. And remember: it’s a request, not a right. If a swap can’t be arranged, crew have to keep to the seating plan for a punctual departure.
Ryanair seat prices and the family rule, in brief
Ryanair sells a range of seats at different price points, which is why many passengers pay upfront:
Standard seats: typically €4.50–€21.50 each way.
Front section (rows 2–5): roughly €7.50–€24.50.
Extra-legroom: from €8–€26 further back, and €12–€38 in the very front rows.
For families, there’s a firm policy: at least one adult must buy a reserved seat and sit next to children under 12 (infants excluded). The airline then allocates up to four children free reserved seats (usually within rows 18–33). The compulsory adult seat typically costs €4.50–€13.50.
If you’re two or three adults who didn’t pay for seat selection, ask on board—politely and early. You won’t always land the perfect pairing, but this light-touch tactic often beats the fee without breaking any rules.
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