Ryanair seat selection isn’t included in the price of a flight. Skip it and Ryanair allocates you a random seat once check-in opens, usually a middle seat, often towards the back of the plane. Pay, and you can pick exactly where you sit, from a standard seat for a few pounds to a wider front-row or extra-legroom seat for more. This guide covers current prices, the best and worst seats on both Ryanair aircraft types, how seat selection ties into your fare, and whether it’s worth paying at all.
How Ryanair seat selection works
Decline seat selection and Ryanair assigns you a seat automatically once check-in opens, with no control over where you end up. Random allocation doesn’t reliably keep groups together either. Which?’s airline survey found only 62% of Ryanair passengers sat next to their travel companions without paying, well below British Airways, easyJet and Jet2, all above 90%.
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Paying for a seat also changes your check-in window. Choose a seat at booking, or add one later through Manage Booking up to two hours before departure, and online check-in opens 60 days before you fly. Skip seat selection and that window shrinks to the 24 hours before departure. MoneySavingExpert notes Ryanair discourages informal seat-swapping after boarding, though it does sometimes happen if cabin crew allow it.
Ryanair seat prices by category
Ryanair’s seat prices move with the route, the season and how close to departure you book, so treat these as a starting point, not a fixed price list. The table below shows what each seat category typically costs each way, checked July 2026.
| Seat type | Typical rows | Price from (each way) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Rows 6-15, 18-33 | From £3 |
| Front row (priority) | Rows 2-5 (A, B, C) | From £7 |
| Extra legroom | Row 1, row 2 (D, E, F), rows 16-17 | From £14, up to around £36.50 nearer departure |
Families get one exception. At least one adult can pay for a seat, from around £4.50, to guarantee the whole family sits together, with up to four children under 12 seated free alongside them. Every source checked for this guide agrees on one thing: book early, since prices rise as a flight fills and again as departure gets closer.
Is Ryanair seat selection worth paying for?
It depends on who you’re flying with, not just how much you want to save. Travelling solo on a short hop, skip it, since the money saved covers a coffee at the gate and a random seat is still a seat. Travelling with anyone else, pay, because with only 62% of unpaid groups seated together, a middle seat next to a stranger is a real risk. Anyone over six foot, or on a flight longer than two hours, should pay for an exit row regardless of who else is on the booking.
Best and worst Ryanair seats by aircraft
Ryanair flies two aircraft types, the older Boeing 737-800 and the newer 737 MAX 8-200, and you can’t always choose which one you get. Ryanair does swap aircraft at short notice, so the safest picks are seats that work well on both.
On the 737-800, row 18 gets the best reviews, extra-legroom comfort without the trade-offs of the very front rows. Rows 16 and 17, the exit rows, offer the same extra legroom for less money, though the tray table is fixed into the armrest. Row 1 has the most legroom of all but narrower seats, due to the curved nose of the aircraft, and sits right by the galley and toilets.
| Aircraft | Best seats | Seats to avoid | Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 737-800 (189 seats) | Row 18; exit rows 16-17; row 1 A-C (most legroom, narrower seats) | Last row (narrow, by the toilets); 11A, 12A, 12F (no window) | 29-30" |
| 737 MAX 8-200 (197 seats) | 29A (no seat ahead); exit rows 17D/17E, 18, 28 | Row 35 (last row, by the toilets); 12A, 14A, 14F, 29F (obstructed windows) | 28-29" |
How seat selection ties into your fare
Which fare you book decides whether seat selection is even optional. The table below shows what each Ryanair fare includes, from the no-frills Basic fare up to Flexi Plus, which unlocks every seat on the plane.
| Fare | Seat selection | Other inclusions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Not included, random seat unless you pay | Small underseat bag only | Cheapest headline fare |
| Regular | Standard seat included | Priority boarding, small bag, 10kg wheelie bag | Paying more only worth it for front or exit rows |
| Plus | Standard seat included | Small bag, 20kg checked bag, fast-track check-in | No priority boarding |
| Family Plus | Free seats for under-12s | Cabin bag and checked bags per passenger | Built to avoid family separation |
| Flexi Plus | Any seat, including front and exit rows | Priority boarding, 2 cabin bags, fast-track security, free date changes | Most expensive, worth it mainly for the flexibility |
The cheaper way to book
MoneySavingExpert’s tested strategy is to book the cheapest Basic fare, then add seat selection, bags and priority boarding separately, rather than paying for a bundled Regular or Plus fare. Their analysis found this saves 30% on average and up to 59% for a family of four, and it works roughly 80% of the time. The exception is when only premium rows are left, when the bundled fare can work out cheaper, so it’s worth comparing both before you pay.
Travelling with children
Since 25 June 2026, Ryanair has dropped its old rule that a family always had to pay for at least one adult’s seat. You can still pay, from around £4.50 per person, for guaranteed seats together. Or pick “continue without a seat” for free random allocation instead. Ryanair then guarantees a child aged 2 to 11 a seat next to one adult, though the rest of the family may be split up. The change followed a Competition and Markets Authority review of the old policy, and Ryanair says it won’t affect fares either way.
| Quick fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cheapest seat | From around £3 for a standard seat, booked early |
| Best all-round pick | An exit row (16-17 on the 737-800, 17D/17E on the MAX), since it works on either aircraft |
| Family rule | Free random allocation still guarantees a child aged 2-11 a seat next to one adult |
| Selection deadline | Up to 2 hours before departure via Manage Booking |
More Ryanair guides
See our full guide to flying with Ryanair for everything else about the airline. For baggage, check the best carry-on bag for Ryanair. For money matters, see whether Ryanair travel insurance is worth it, when Ryanair has sales, how far in advance Ryanair releases flights, and whether Ryanair flights are refundable. For comparisons, see easyJet vs Ryanair vs Jet2 and the Airline Luggage Checker.
“It took a competition watchdog, not goodwill, to make Ryanair stop charging parents just to sit next to their own kids.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Frequently asked questions
Does Ryanair let you choose your seat for free?
No, seat selection always costs extra on Ryanair unless you skip it and accept a random seat at check-in. Regular, Plus and Family Plus fares include a free standard seat, but front-row and extra-legroom seats cost more on every fare except Flexi Plus.
What happens if you don’t select a seat on Ryanair?
Ryanair assigns you a seat automatically once online check-in opens, 24 hours before departure. You have no control over where you sit, and groups are often split up, so it’s frequently a middle seat away from anyone you’re travelling with.
Which Ryanair seats have the most legroom?
Row 1 has the most legroom on the Boeing 737-800, and seat 29A has the most on the 737 MAX 8-200, since there’s no seat in front of it. Exit rows 16-17 on the 737-800 and 17D/17E on the MAX both offer a reliable extra-legroom option on either aircraft.
Can I sit with my family on Ryanair without paying?
Since 25 June 2026, yes. Choose free random allocation and Ryanair guarantees a child aged 2 to 11 a seat next to one adult, though the rest of the family may not be seated nearby unless you pay.
How much does Ryanair seat selection cost?
Standard seats start from around £3, front-row seats from around £7, and extra-legroom seats from around £14, rising to roughly £36.50 closer to departure. Prices vary by route and how far in advance you book.
Is it cheaper to book a Ryanair Basic fare and add seats separately?
Usually, yes. MoneySavingExpert found booking the Basic fare and adding seats, bags and priority separately saves 30% on average, and up to 59% for a family of four, compared with a bundled fare.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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