By DOUGLAS QUENQUA, New York Times
As the economy and security regulations conspire to squeeze the comforts out of air travel – lines are long, flights are full and increasingly devoid of amenities – the sound of a baby’s wail can be the breaking point for already frayed nerves.
Now, travelers without children are doing some fussing of their own. Some are calling for airlines to implement child-free flights, or designate “family-only” sections on planes, in the wake of some high-profile tantrums.
In July, Qantas settled a lawsuit from a woman who claimed that she suffered hearing loss after sitting next to a screaming 3-year-old boy on a 2009 flight from New York to Australia. (Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.)
In January, AirTran removed an entire family from a flight before takeoff from Fort Myers, Fla., because their 3-year-old girl was hitting the parents, making noise and refusing to take her seat. And in March, a 42-year-old woman allegedly grabbed a boy (3 years old, again) for kicking her chair during a Southwest flight to Las Vegas.
While few travelers would advocate outright assault, a survey of 2,000 travelers released by Skyscanner, a fare-comparison site, in August found that 59 percent of passengers support creating special sections on flights for families.
Nearly 20 percent said they would like to see airlines offer child-free flights.
The survey brought widespread attention to such ideas, which had long been simmering on message boards, blogs and other bastions of complaint.
“I would gladly pay extra for a child-free flight,” said Ian Burford, a frequent flier from Boston who recently started a Facebook group called Airlines Should Have Kid-Free Flights. “Or at least if they made it easier when booking a flight to say ‘I don’t want to be seated next to a 1-year-old.’ That would be helpful.”
$800 bucks a seat for 5 hours of torture.
Kick em’ out.
i agree totally. and when there still at it they should add at least 2 cribs and 3 beds for the kids to sleep on
You kow, This is really pathetic. Look, I can understand why people are complaining, but honestly, child free flights? That is really extreme. I hate to be blunt, but any adult who complains, they’re just acting like babies. Children can be fussy, obnoxious, and downright insufferable at times, but removing children from flights could be detrimental. I mean, children and babies could possibly need medical treatments in another country, and what about parents who have important events in foreign places. Should they sacrifice their events to satisfy a bunch of kvetchers? Adults, you were children once too. Think about it:… Read more »
everyone was a kid and most did the same thing kick seats and go wild
so of you have an adult section- how is it you still won’t hear
the kids? chas v’shalom you as a family need to get somewhere quickly and the only way is a plane and you need to take little kids with you- ie a levaya- you should miss it and the support of your family because you had no one to leave your children with..
what have we become as a society that we cannot help out a struggling parent on a plane with a child- or children
dont take a hundred screaming children on a flight halfway across the world. its JUST NOT RIGHT. or decent for that matter.
Instead of singling out the kids, they should make a section Adult Only.
I was flying back from Israel and sitting next to me were a large group of students. I promptly fell asleep and woke up half way through the flight. In a awed voice the student sitting next to me asked how i ever fell asleep with a whole plane of chasdishe families and their screaming kid. I felt pretty bad for everyone else but perks of a large family you are able to sleep through anything! Anyways its one thing when you go on the plane with 1 kid but dear parents who lug all 5 kids under the age… Read more »
how about the complainers offer a hand or two to those parents on the plane and help distract the crying child i have sat next to the most wonderful people who i did not have to ask them to help they just did what they saw needed and we all had a better flight because of that . so if you are one of those angles i would like to THANK YOU!
The timing of this article is perfect. I was on a flight from Chicago to Dallas last night when the captain came back and asked a couple whose crying 2-3 year old to leave the plane. The child was crying, not screaming. I heard the flight attendant (probably 65-70) say to the pilot “I’m not listening to that for 2 hours”. Another couple and a flight attendant on standby, took their vacated seats. I thought this was just wrong. I cannot believe how intolerant we’ve become as a society. I’ve heard a man tell a young man that had adjusted… Read more »
the fare for those flights should be doubled and then we shall see if they still want child free flights….
You were once a baby too! What if babys need to go for surgery?!?!?!?!? Chill out!
I bless all those complainers that this should be their only tzaros in life!
Actually not a bad idea.Pragmatically speaking,though,since the economy isn’t strong enough to fly planes with lots of empty seats on a consistent basis, maybe such flights could be arranged during peak holiday/vacation seasons. P.S. I’m a bubby who loves infants/toddlers to peices,but that doesn’t make me immune to the shattered nerves that result from having to listen to a little one unhappily shrieking for hours on end-whether they’re my family members or someone else’s. P.S. The poor, frazzled parents of these shrieking little blessings are often embarrassed to tears. I think they would only feel relieved knowing their kids aren’t… Read more »
As a mother of KNH many and a bobby, I HATE FLYING NEXT TO SCREAMING KICKING KIDS.
I have flown Sydney- San Fran being kicked the whole way. I politely askedthe child to stop, I very politely asked the parents and desperately asked the flight attendant to help
The kid ignored me, the parent could not help and it was unrealistic to ask them to get off the plane mid-way.
I would love adult only areas AND I am very used to kids..
We were all once children many years ago, how some can forget is beyond me. On the hand, dear parents, we know how hard it is to raise little children, and we love them so very dearly. But on the other side of the spectrum, imagine a poor grouchy woman having to put up with your screaming beautiful child. so either don’t fly with your kids, put up those barriers between child free and family friendly cabins, or keep your delicious ones quiet on the loooong flight. anyone agree?
actually, as a mother flying with kids i wouldnt want to sit in the “family section” imagine you finally got your child settled and quiet perhaps even asleep, but then the kid in the next row starts screaming which then starts the chorus rolling again.
in any case, i find that they generally stick the families in the back of the plane together anyways. even if u reserved otehr seats. this happened to me a few times
And while they are at it…maybe child friendly flights wont demand that u keep ur 2 year old tied into the seat WHILE U ARE SITTING ON THE TARMAC WAITING TO TAKE OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR(or deplane for that matter either on a deathly hot aircraft)!!!
I was just getting riled up when I got to your comment. Hee hee, that would be nice.
sounds like your baby sister is k”h an angel enjoy her. some kids like my 2 year old BOY never sit down they are on the go all day long i would choose to stay home if i had to fly with him
no one is holding anything personal against the kids, yet it is very uncomfortable to sit next to a crying child.
by all means make a child friendly flight i think moms will love it.
MY 1-year-old (almost 2) baby sister NEVER bothers ANYBODY on the plane or bus or ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even when she wasn’t 1 yet, or when she just turned 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i totally agree! theres nothing wrong with having a kid free flight. People that pay lots of money for flights shouldnt have to sit next to little children if they dont want to. No ones saying its wrong to have children on flights, only place them in seperate sections where they dont disturb older passangers or people that are traveling on buisness.
pay more and fly first class where kids r usually not allowed and should not be allowed.
notice they r still crying…..
Some airlines have also stripped bulkhead seats from infants, they give it to higher paying adults and leave us in tiny seats with babies on our laps. What do they expect? It’s all about money.
these people forget that once upon a time they were kids too. This lack of tolerance is pathetically sad.
nobody ever said there was anything wrong with kids its just that they -rightfuly- make a lot of noise, so whats wrong if they put all families on one flight and all people that want to sleep on another flight
Yes, they should have a family section. . . In the front with a roll of paper by every seat and crayons that come out with a push of the button. . . yeah, that would be ideal. . . and maybe a few cradles. . . oh, and a play center. . . that would be nice. . . maybe some toys. . . and then maybe these very “understanding” people wont be bothered by screaming and tantruming kids.
Anyone that has this issue: Be in charge a of baby for just one flight, “he’s your baby for the flight”, when he screams, kicks chairs, you gotta take care of it, it’s you kid. After that 1 time, u wouldnt mind the sound of crying being that you dont have to be the one taking care of the baby….. TRY IT!
man !! what has the world come too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it’s not our fault our kids cry, i mean, c’mon i’m sure all those ppl themselves used to cry a lot