Child Free Flights

[bourbonfan]

I can't for the life of me copy/paste stuff into this board but here's the link:

m.eonline.com/news/686019/mom-argues-that-babies-should-be-banned-from-flights-and-fiery-twitter-debate-erupts-take-a-look

Basically, a London-based journalist, and fellow mom, told a UK talk show that it was selfish of parents to take small children on long flights because it just isn't practical. She then suggested airlines have child free flights or at least a family section.

Cue Twitter war and #childfreeflights trending.

[penguingrrl]

I'm not bothered by that thought, nor am I bothered by child-free restaurants. As long as there are still child-welcome flights offered since often people are flying to move or visit family or other essential travel, I see no reason with wanting to be with only adults.

Of course, you still run the risk of assholes on flights. I've often been more bothered by the 21 year old drunk frat guy than by babies or toddlers, but if people want baby and child free flights that's their prerogative. It's still no guarantee of a quiet flight.

I would say that if the market will bear it and enough people will pay for a flight on which children aren't allowed then the airlines are welcome to offer it.

[StrawberryBlondie]

I have no issue with child free flights. As long as child-welcome flights are an option, too.

[ESF]

I say this as someone that had another child puke on me while in flight, I don't really care.

Booking plane tickets is the biggest mind fuck ever. I have no desire to make that process more annoying for anyone. Especially when other people's children are rarely the worst part about flying (they are the worst when they puke on you, and they are not so fun when they are super chatty and you are super hung over, but the rest of the time, I've learned to cope).

I'll waive my flag for child free weddings and restaurants and anything else. If airlines decide to do this, I can't say I wouldn't consider it, especially for red eyes. But I'm not going to sign a petition demanding them.

[Deleted]

I just wish red eye flights were like the quiet car on the train. Shut up and let me sleep! The last one I took two women talked non-stop for 6 hours. And not quietly. It was obnoxious.

[fortnightlily]

If there were an abundance of choices for flights this wouldn't bother me much, but I feel like it's already hard enough to find seats on a semi-affordable flight on the day/time you'd like to fly. Unless you're flying between two major hubs there might only be one or two flights a day where you need to go.

[iammalcolmx]

My Lufthansa flight had a poor kid who was miserable the entire time, I was happy we weren't in the same cabin. That is the first time that has happened to me in 20 years of international travel. I don't care about the kids, it's the adults who usually work my nerves. Like the woman on my Virgin Atlantic flight, who didn't want to change seats with her child so she wanted me to. Bitch please.

[decemberwedding07]

Aug 13, 2015 15:16:26 GMT -5 @mx said:

On the list of people who annoy me on airplanes children are probably number 5 or 6. Sadly I don't think chatty, over-excited mission trip member-free flights are on the agenda.

Strangers who want to share their religion with you really are the worst. I feel like it's a very rude thing to do, but then I don't want to be rude by telling them to STFU.

[laurack]

I can't see a way this wouldn't increase the costs of airfares all round.

I guess I'm fine with it as long as the person paying extra is the one desiring the child free flight and my own flight costs don't increase..

[chedifuen]

I think it's a great idea! I would rather travel with my kids on family friendly flights and knowing people have the option to not fly with us would relieve a lot of my travel anxiety.

[laurack]

I fly with my kids to take them to see my family, it's not really for funsies or to cling to some wonderful previous life of adventure because it's not fun at allll lol

[Deleted]

If airlines cared about customer service, perhaps this would be a thing.

As long as their priority is selling out as many flights as possible and making money, it will never happen.

[ECB]

Aug 13, 2015 15:35:16 GMT -5 laurack said:

I fly with my kids to take them to see my family, it's not really for funsies or to cling to some wonderful previous life of adventure because it's not fun at allll lol

This is why her comments made me roll my eyes.  If we all lived in our hometowns of origin and eveyrone we knew lived there and we only traveled for the joy of traveling... ok., MAYBE I can see what she was saying. 

But for most of us, traveling with kids is often about seeing family.  Not about holding on to our pre-child lives.  She kind of lost me at that.  

As said - if this wouldn't affect my ability to travel easily with my kid, fine, have child free flights.  But if flights will get more expensive, it will be harder to fly... then no, I'm not on board.  

[iammalcolmx]

Honestly I experience great airline customer service, usually.

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 13, 2015 15:41:12 GMT -5 toledo said:

This is stupid. Bring earphones; suck it up.

Thank you.

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2015 15:47:58 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Honestly I experience great airline customer service, usually.

Yeah, I fly in Canada. Work used to make me fly Air Canada.

"Air Canada" and "great airline customer service" have never been written in the same sentence. 

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 13, 2015 15:54:05 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Yeah, I fly in Canada. Work used to make me fly Air Canada.

"Air Canada" and "great airline customer service" have never been written in the same sentence. 

I worked for Air Canada in college, I was an awesome agent!

[aurora]

There was a baby(maybe 6 mo) sitting behind me on my flight yesterday. I didn't even know it was there until I got up to stretch.

I don't love babies/young children in general but given the state of air travel in this country it's stupid to ban them from flying. I'm way more annoyed at a lot of other people than at the young children who can't help but express what most of us are feeling.

[RoxMonster]

I say this as a child-free woman who is not a huge kid person in general: I don't care.

Seriously. Kids are usually one of the least annoying people on my flights. I have encountered way more annoying adults than children. I would rather pay more money for bigger/more comfortable seats, more leg room, etc. on flights rather than a child-free flight (not that any of those other wishes would happen, either).

[Cicero]

I would just like to point out that this can't be the #1 priority for everyone. If it was then the only airline to ban babies in business class wouldn't be flying near empty planes.

[frlcb]

I can assure her that the trips we take to the UK to visit my ILs are not done because I am dying to spend 10 hours on a plane with my kids. But I also don't apologize for wanting to travel with my kids, and for enjoying it as well. To assume that people shouldn't travel with babies because they are unpredictable and possibly cranky is unrealistic and narrowminded.

Have a child free flight. Better yet fly private if the mere thought of children on your plane makes you angry. Or buy some bose headphones, drink some wine, and deal with the public mode of transport that everyone is equally entitled to be on. I'm sure if an airline created a child free flight it would be popular - but not sustainable.

[aurora]

Aug 13, 2015 15:47:58 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Honestly I experience great airline customer service, usually.

Aren't you at a high level in a mileage program or something? Or am I confusing that with someone else?

Fun story about airlines: of the 4 flights I was scheduled for over the past week, 3 were more than 30 min late. The only one was on time was my outbound connection, so I got to stand there at the gate and watch it sit for 5 min before pulling away (after running from my other gate). All delays were the airline's fault and I got no accommodation for any. Well, unless you count getting rebooked on a different flight that got me to my destination at 2:30 am.

(Sorry for the off-topic rant.)

[bourbonfan]

Aug 13, 2015 15:47:42 GMT -5 ECB said:

Aug 13, 2015 15:35:16 GMT -5 laurack said:

I fly with my kids to take them to see my family, it's not really for funsies or to cling to some wonderful previous life of adventure because it's not fun at allll lol

This is why her comments made me roll my eyes.  If we all lived in our hometowns of origin and eveyrone we knew lived there and we only traveled for the joy of traveling... ok., MAYBE I can see what she was saying. 

But for most of us, traveling with kids is often about seeing family.  Not about holding on to our pre-child lives.  She kind of lost me at that.  

As said - if this wouldn't affect my ability to travel easily with my kid, fine, have child free flights.  But if flights will get more expensive, it will be harder to fly... then no, I'm not on board.  

This is how I felt when I read it. I

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 13, 2015 16:24:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

Aren't you at a high level in a mileage program or something? Or am I confusing that with someone else?

Fun story about airlines: of the 4 flights I was scheduled for over the past week, 3 were more than 30 min late. The only one was on time was my outbound connection, so I got to stand there at the gate and watch it sit for 5 min before pulling away (after running from my other gate). All delays were the airline's fault and I got no accommodation for any. Well, unless you count getting rebooked on a different flight that got me to my destination at 2:30 am.

(Sorry for the off-topic rant.)

You may be thinking of how I am known as a bourgeois traveler. It's only for when I travel International business class and honestly they only know you are flying business when you are in the plane and maybe in the lounge. Your gripe about delays? Been there, done that. I was hours late to the 2014 Chicago GTG because of no pilot's.

[josieposy]

Aug 13, 2015 16:24:13 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

All I have to say is that it wasn't a baby in my row acting a fool and about to brawl with another passenger when I flew to the UK in June.

Although if it was I would have loved to see that video!

[ttt]

My kids have flown to Rio and Paris and are awesome on flights. They get compliments from people around us. 

[Velar Fricative]

This is so dumb and I'm someone who didn't care about kids on flights even before kids. I mean, en route to our honeymoon there were nine kids from one family wreaking havoc in the cabin and we were way more pissed off at their sleeping parents.

I guarantee the adult flights would have more disruptive people.

Not to mention, do we really trust that his will all go off perfectly, logistically?

[MixedBerryJam]

Aug 13, 2015 15:08:33 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

I have no issue with child free flights. As long as child-welcome flights are an option, too.

I'm here, too, as long as the surcharge (I'm assuming there will be a fee involved) will be for  the child-free flight, NOT on the person traveling with a child.

[meltoine]

I want a flight where the last five rows are a giant playpen filled with toys where everyone is welcome to stick their kids under 5 for the duration. If I can have that, Madame Judgeypants can have her child free flight.

[mrspez07]

I think a child-free flight is what the guy in front of us on our SW flight yesterday must have thought he was on, either that or the seat he chose had no padding to it or something.
Putting the tray table up or down should not result in a scowl from anyone, unless the two are done in rapid succession.