02/08/2012

More Than A Third 'Would Pay More' For Child-Free Airplanes

One third of Britons would pay higher fares if they could be sure of a child-free flight.

In the survey by TripAdvisor, respondents highlighted a litany of problems with having other people’s children on board.

The noise is the obvious one - a baby screaming as it feels the pressure in its ears at take-off and landing can be an awful sound in a confined space.

But other things came up too.

22% of people said a child kicking the back of their seat was their pet peeve on flights.

Another 22% said their biggest frustration was when parents did not control their children and watched them run amok instead.

But the biggest peeve from respondents was not down to young travelers.

The number one irritant, which 29% of people voted for in the survey, was people who recline their seat inconsiderately.

Malaysia Airlines banned children from the to deck of some of their planes earlier this year.

Travellers questioned by TripAdvisor were divided with 34% saying children should be banned from first and business class cabins, while 36% said they shouldn't.

But when it comes to their own comfort, 37% of those polled said they would pay extra for a child-free flight.

TripAdvisor's Emma Shaw said: "A stressful flight can really have a negative impact.

Any disturbance when flying is a frustration but it seems that unruly children are among the biggest frustrations for some passengers."


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