Would you pay extra to sit in a child-free zone on planes and trains?
Unruly children remain the biggest in-flight annoyance for the majority of travellers -- ahead of drunken passengers, surly cabin crew and over-talkative neighbours, according to a recent survey.
One in three passengers dread sitting next to a crying baby or annoying
toddler so much that they would be prepared to pay more to sit in a
child-free zone on a plane ... as much as $75 per return flight.
Children kicking the back of seats was seen as the most annoying in-flight incident, receiving 74% of the votes, while children crying or being unruly was chosen by 61% of those surveyed.
But help is at hand. One Singapore airline is now offering passengers the option to upgrade to seats in a quiet zone -- where children are nowhere to be found.
While not the only Asian airline to set aside a cabin section that's off limit to kids, the low-cost carrier, which flies to Sydney and the Gold Coast from Singapore, has taken things to the next level.
The airline has banned kids under 12 from the first few rows of its economy-class section. What's more, passengers can opt to sit in the 41-seat ScootinSilence area.
Each seat in the child-free area comes with extra leg room with a pitch of up to 35 inches -- four more inches than their standard economy seat. The cost? Less than $20.
Both low cost airlines are assessing the appeal of larger adults-only sections as a way of extracting additional revenue. Although North American carriers have yet to institute similar policies, it's certainly worth considering.
Should airlines have kids-free zones? Or is that discriminatory? How much more would you be willing to pay for such a seat?
Posted by: Cat | Aug 30, 2021 5:22:51 AM
What an excellent idea! It makes everyone happy and preserves your sanity. The alternative could be that travellers are offered a discount if they have to sit within 5 rows of a child under the age of 6. A win, win!
Posted by: parjit | Aug 30, 2021 7:57:26 AM
OH YES PLEASE. I would pay extra to be on a child free plane every time.
A word of advice: LEAVE YOUR KIDS WITH A SITTER OR RENT A CAR. For overseas travel; take a ship and do all of us a huge favour.
children on planes: is the most annoying travel in the world and like it or not you and your kids are despised by fare paying customers who should not have to put up with YOUR unruly children.
its noisy and hard enough to relax on a plane now, kids make it almost unbearable! please for all our sakes stay home.
Posted by: asd | Aug 30, 2021 9:06:44 AM
@Parjit. I can only hope you'll never have kids. Have a long life without kids because your genes should not be in the human race pool. You are so egocentric that your comment is completely absurd.
So parents with children should go by ship to overseas, hah? That's funny, other selfish people like you who also take the ship, are thinking, hey, those parents with kids should be in a plane.
BTW, those parents and their kids are also fare paying customers. Last time I check, people don't get a free flight just because have kids with them. So they have the same rights to be in the plane with you and travel the world. If you don't like it, you can always pay for a plane only for you. Live with it and STFU.
@Everyone else
Yes, children are an annoyance during trips. Not only for the other passengers, but the parents as well. Do you actually believe that parents enjoy when children cry, scream, or misbehave? Everybody looks at the parents as if its their fault. And if parents try to control the children, there is always someone against the procedure. If parents give children sleeping pills, oh my god they should not be doing that! If parents spank their children, oh my god, let's call 911! If parents do nothing, oh my god, they should do something! Parents are more scrutinized and judged than other people, like they were convicts or something like that.
I know everybody is not happy during a trip after hours sitting in the same place. What do you expect from chidren, that are suppossed to play and learn new stuff every day? It is in the genes, they have a huge amount of energy to spend, and being sitting for hours it is a punishment for them.
Parents and their springs have the same rights to have a vacation overseas, to travel the world. It is complicated for them, more things to carry with them, more responsability to handle. They already have a burden, please don't make it worse.
That's why I agree with Cat: it is an excellent idea for sure! It should make everyone happy.
Thanks
Posted by: Gray | Aug 31, 2021 3:02:53 PM
Heck!! I can't afford to sit in a train or plane.
Posted by: John | Sep 6, 2021 3:23:55 PM
I always buy the most expensive seats anyways. I don't have any issue with kids on a plane. They are welcome to sit right beside me.
Posted by: Grant | Sep 20, 2021 5:26:29 PM
Why should I pay more to sit away from ill behaved kids. The parents should be charged more for their seats then maybe they will leave them at home. Some airlines don't charge for children under 5 or 6 but the children don't get seats. They have to sit on the laps of the parents or stand between them and the back of the seat in front of them. Try having two kids stand at the back of your seat grabbing it, pushing it and whining for 9 hours all the way to Heathrow.