Ryanair seating allocation
How does seating allocation work with Ryanair if travelling in a group of 6, checking in online and not opting for reserved seats?
Best Answer
It has indeed changed one year ago. From https://www.ryanair.com/en/terms-and-conditions/regulations-reservedseating/:
ALLOCATED SEATING - ALL FLIGHTS FROM 8 APRIL 2014 ONWARDS
[...]
Customers who do not wish to select and purchase their preferred allocated seat, can check-in online between 7 days and 2 hours before each booked flight and will be allocated a seat free of charge.
I have always booked alone, but I imagine that if you have booked your plane together (selecting more than one passenger in the booking form and paying together) you will be given close-by seats.
If you are multiple people flying together but you have booked separately, you are out of luck. If I were you I would try (for science) checking in online all at the same time, to see if the seats are allocated consecutively or if you can infer a pattern. Please report your findings to us then!
EDIT: more useful links:
Ryanair will try not to split up families
some science on the allocation order.
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Why do Ryanair sit you apart?
Budget airline passengers are accustomed to paying extra for services which used to be free, from checking in a bag to a cup of tea on board. But as the summer surge begins, Ryanair has been accused of deliberately seating couples and families apart in order to persuade them to pay for seat reservations.Will Ryanair sit us together?
With most airlines, if you DON'T pay and just check in online as early as you can, you WILL get to sit with the rest of your group \u2013 as long as seats are still available. All airlines below bar Ryanair told us their seat allocation systems will always try to seat groups on the same booking together.Does Ryanair have assigned seating?
Yes, Ryanair uses assigned seating for all of their flights. Passengers can purchase a seat assignment if they want to choose their own seats. Passengers who do not choose to purchase seat assignments will each be assigned a seat when they check in for their flights.Is it worth reserving seats on Ryanair?
Seats on Ryanair flights are not allocated, and you definitely cannot pre-book seats. Getting to the airport early will make no difference to where you get to sit. You can pay extra for priority boarding which enables you to be in the first batch of passengers to scramble for seats.Ryanair Introduces Allocated Seating
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Answer 2
Edit: newer answers indicate that Ryanair have changed procedures. Please note that this info may be out of date
Ryanair seating typically works in that at some point, people are invited to board, a queue forms (it may have already done so) and everyone piles on the plane, taking seats as they find them. If it is important to sit as a group, then your best bet is to pay extra for priority boarding. Otherwise, just sit where you can. Unless among the last to board, finding pairs of seats is not normally a problem.
Note this is all based on my experience of having frequently travelled with Ryanair for a few years, but most recently over a year ago. I bathmat from Ryanair PR and your comment about optional reserved seating that their procedures may have changed.
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