Why I Support Child-Free Sections & Flights on Airplanes

We have all been there. You settle into your seat, pull out your book/tablet/eye shades, and you start looking around at your fellow passengers. Its inevitable that you will make eye contact with it. Doesn't matter when, where you are traveling to or even which airline that you fly on, there is always at least one present. What am I talking about? Children. Little Children!

WSJ Online

Let me say that I am not anti-children. I respect people's decisions to have children. AND I respect their right to fly with their children. My beef starts when parents can not control their children during the flight. I am not talking about a kid crying during take-off or landing. These are scary times. Some adults even have problems during takeoffs and landings. Also, the change in pressure on a child's ears is greatest at these times. My problem is with the child or children that cry, scream, kick the back of the seat or don't follow crew member instruction throughout the ENTIRE flight. Maybe my beef isn't with the child, but the parent that can't control his/her child.

Many will argue that when a child is fussy there is sometimes nothing a parent can do to calm down a child. As I am not a parent, I can't attest if this is true or not. However, parents need to make the decision before booking flights if their child is ready to fly. Not ever trip is essential to make. If your child can't take an hour trip in the car without crying, why would you put them on a plane for 4 hours?

This post isn't about bashing parents with children. Rather a discussion about being a twenty something annoyed with having to fly with out-of-control kids. What if airlines had sections of the planes that had age limits ie only those 12+ can sit there?

Age restricted seating is becoming a trend in Asian based airlines. The Telegraph, of the UK, reports that budget airline, Scoot Airlines, has created a child free cabin:

"Passengers flying with Scoot Airlines can be upgraded to the 41-seat “ScootinSilence” cabin in rows 21 to 25 for S$18 (£9), where children under the age of 12 are banned from sitting.

The child-free cabin offers more legroom than the rear section of the aircraft, with a 35-inch seat pitch, four inches more than in economy class.

The budget arm of Singapore Airlines is the latest carrier to introduce a child-free zone on planes."

I would definitely pay extra to sit in this cabin on certain fights.  If a flight is under two hours, I would not pay the extra money. I can handle a screaming child for 2 hours. Anything more than that might test my patience; therefore, paying extra money might be worth it. Flying is a peaceful time for me. A screaming child ruins my peace and makes the flight much more difficult.

My distaste for unruly children is supported by others. The article cites a 2013 British survey that indicated "unruly children remain the biggest in-flight annoyance for the majority of travellers – ahead of drunken passengers, surly cabin crew and over-talkative neighbours" A quick poll of 10 friends had 50% of them say the same thing. Yes, my survey was skewed. None of those survived have kids.

Will American based airlines follow the trend? My guess is yes! When there is extra money to be made the US airlines will find a way to take advantage.  I wouldn't be surprised if some airline takes it to the next level and have entire flights restricted to those under 12. The question is can an airline sell out a flight out without children allowed on it. My guess is on some routes is yes. In the United States, I could imagine the shuttle flights between DC, New York or Boston being prime candidates for age restrictions due to the high number of business travelers that fly those routes. The other question is it legal?

Children-free zones or flights are a win-win for parents and non-parents alike. Why you might ask?  For those without children, children free zones/flights give them an option for a peaceful flight at an additional price. On the other hand, parents flying with children won't have to deal with as many dirty looks, sneers or angry fellow flyers because those flyers likely to give those will opt to pay for seats in the children free zones/fights. Almost a Win-Win.

Yes, I have these feelings now about children, because I don't have them. However, karma has its way of kicking you in the butt. So rest assured, IF I have children, mine will be the one screaming in the back of the plane and then I will be the one getting the dirty looks from twenty-somethings. 

oh, Karma!

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