Survey finds mixed feelings over ‘families only’ sections on flights
A poll by Skyscanner has revealed that 59% of travellers would like a ‘families only’ section onboard flights.
The survey of 2,000 people followed the recent furore over a woman who claimed a baby’s screaming made her ears bleed on a Qantas flight.
It found that 68% of non-parents particularly liked the idea, but, unsurprisingly, less than a third of parents surveyed were in agreement.
It also found that:
– just 8% of child-free respondents thought people should be entitled to sit where they like
– almost 70% ‘wanted to sit as far away as possible from children’
– almost 25% of non-parents went one step further saying that they would prefer to flights that were free from children altogether
– 45% of parents said they didn’t want a families-only section because they didn’t want to sit next to ‘other people’s horrors’
– 24% of parents disagreed with the idea because they felt that people should be able to ‘sit where they liked’.
Other suggestions put forward by Skyscanner users to solve the problem of noisy children on flights included: the provision of a baby nursery, only allowing well-behaved children to travel, and in a less sympathetic vein, one user said “children should go in the hold”.
Skyscanner PR manager Mary Porter said: “As a relatively new mum myself I can still remember that feeling of dread when you found yourself seated next to a baby on a long flight; however since regularly flying with my one year old, I am much more aware of what a stressful, and often embarrassing, situation it can be for parents.
“However, I’m not surprised that in a previous poll we found young children were deemed to be the “most annoying” factor on flights. When tempers are frayed, a screaming child can cause a major disturbance for fellow passengers.
“If passengers are prepared to pay extra for child-free flying, perhaps the solution is a premium adults-only section, rather than a pre-allocated families section, giving airlines yet another extra they can charge for?
“I am sure this service would prove really popular on routes that attract a lot of families such as flights to Orlando.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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