To think children should be banned from long-haul flights in economy?

Before I get jumped on - I don’t hate children. But I do think it’s unfair that someone paying hundreds or even thousands for a flight has to endure hours of screaming, kicking seats, or being disturbed constantly.

So you want to ban them from Economy, so people in Business who have paid way MORE than you can suffer instead?
You know children crying is still legal in Business right?
Goady trolly shite. My kids are better behaved on flights than many adults. You don't like sharing space with them? Don't fly. Have to for work and family reasons? Yeah, me too, and my kids. You are not more important than children. Most children are probably significantly nicer and less selfish than you. Your money buys you a seat, not an optimised experience and unalloyed delight. You're not even springing for Business 😂

Agree.The piss heads are the worst passenger to deal with!!

Bad behaviour from children or adults cannot be excused by the fact that they have paid for their tickets and therefore think they are entitled to do what they like.

“It was about finding realistic ways to make the experience better for everyone, including parents who might appreciate a space where kids can be kids without glares from everyone around them.”

FWIW, I find mandatory family areas awful as a parent. I call them the family ghetto.

Inconsiderate parents are annoying. Inconsiderate non-parents are also annoying. Unfortunately, economy flights just tend not to be pleasant experiences a lot of the time for one reason or another (including no space, etc.).

Just been on a 4hr flight and there were 61 kids on board. You wouldn't have known.

YABU to want them 'banned.' Its public transport, you need to be prepared to encounter all sorts of members of the public.

Agree that obvious bad behaviour (kicking seats etc.) and ignorant parents is not ok. Zero tolerance there. But crying? They can't help it. Babies and children crying is part of life isn't it? I've encountered annoying behaviour from adults on long haul flights too, but unfortunately can't have them banned.

Family zones are a good idea that may work well. Would also take the pressure off of parents who are worried about getting negative reactions from other passengers. Wonder has that ever been considered as a viable option with any airlines.

Parents also pay. Sod off.

But your thread title explicitly calls for children to be banned from Economy on long haul flights, @OneGreenLeader.

It's a hard one - last time I flew longhaul, I was sat next to the quietest and most polite 4 year old I've ever met. However 4 rows up there was a child having an actual screaming meltdown for 2 straight hours and I could have killed her fucking parents. They just let her scream and scream with arms crossed ignoring her. I think they thought if they didn't give her attention she would eventually shut up. It was a night flight too so everyone was trying desperately to sleep. I think the air hostess eventually had to step in and offer to take her for a walk or something or offer her a warm milk. T

yes this. My family live in Australia. My parents have long been too ill to travel here. If my children are ever going to see their GPs then we have to fly. The next flight we are doing in August is going to be hell- London to Singapore. Singapore to Brisbane and Brisbane to Cairns.

Wr are not putting ourselves through that for fun I can tell you.

I did it in January as my mother was in hospital and desperately ill (she recovered thankfully) and believe me the man who decided that the spare seat in the middle of 3 between us meant he could take a sleeping pill and spread out with his stinking feet basically next to my headrest and who snored for 10 hours was several times worse IMO.

I've never had a problem with child/baby passengers and my children are always immaculately behaved* - bag of haribo & an ipad - job done. A bit of crying isn't an issue. And as a PP said, once they are over 2 they pay the same as adults give or take a few quid.

Worst passengers on flights have always been adults IME. The obese woman who sat ON me on a 4hr flight and wouldn't put her arm rest down until the steward forced her. The woman who kept shouting on a flight from Marrakesh that a poor Moroccan guy having an asthma attack must be a terrorist. (They moved him to first class to keep away from her). Posh British older man having a toddler tantrum in security because he had to comply with the rules. Pissed 40 year old dickhead on a delayed package flight to Alicante who kept saying how much he was going to complain to the steward and every time the steward passed sunk down in his seat. Children are a delight in comparison and are good company.

*not a boast, they are shitbags in other scenarios

Oh OP some thoughts are best kept a thought and this is one of them.

If you can not afford first or private then I am afraid you are stuck with the rest who are flying economy. And there’s nothing that can or will be done about it.

It's just people that can be a pain on flights. Sometimes those people are adults, sometimes children. Now a plane free of other people I could get on board with!

Hmmm, I do really long hul (10 hours +) quite frequently and children kicking seats or grabbing my hair happens far too often. A recent flight where I had to travel Economy (no Business available) was wrecked on the 12 hour leg by a small boy persistently kicking my seat and jolting it (it actually hurt after a while) as I was trying to sleep. I told his mother this was happening and asked her to stop him, and got the "He's only 6, he can't help it).

So yes, a family zone or basically decent considerate parenting would be lovely.

I fly Business Class now whenever I can.

Of course they shouldn’t be banned! I’d have no problem with family zones. There are ranges of annoying with kids, just as there are with adults - it’s part and parcel of gritting your teeth and bearing it on a plane (within reason).

There’ll be the person who is knowingly travelling with the virus that will fuck your holiday, the talker, the snorer, the ‘want everyone to hear my conversationer’, the take their shoes off with ultra-cheesy feet-er, the person who gets up and down to toilet/luggage/walk frequently etc etc. It’s life. It’s a plane journey of limited time.

I have flown a lot and never been disturbed by children. Been disturbed more by adults doing weird and random things.

no. The seat costs the same as an adult so they are as entitled to get on and fly as anyone else.

put headphones or earplugs in so you don’t hear any noise.

or maybe get yourself first class tickets

In crates?

But children aren’t entitled to kick the back of your seat, or misbehave while their besotted parents look on, are they?
I’ve suffered kids kicking the back of my seat, and it’s not pleasant. It’s about parents taking responsibility for their children and teaching them that to behave like that is not acceptable. I’ve also taken children on flights, and no, they didn’t kick the seats in front of them

Most long haul flights do have a business option which is more quiet by default. Just do that.

I would support a child zone on long flights.

Public transport (yes, that includes economy long haul flights) is not designed to be comfortable. It is designed to be an affordable way to get people - ALL people - from A to B. There will often be uncomfortable situations, uncomfortable seats, rude passengers, crying babies, and terrible food.

“My experience is ruined and I had a terrible time. I think all drinking should be banned on flights because there was a group flying for a wedding who got quite loud and obnoxious.”

Does it work? No. You can’t just segregate groups on the likelihood that some passengers may have a less enjoyable time. The answer is to stop viewing the flight itself as an “experience” and simply another uncomfortable long coach journey. Everyone is desperate to get to the other end and some of the people travelling are cunts. That’s the nature.

If you want luxury travel with only your chosen demographic of travellers you have to pay for it.

I don’t think children should be banned at all, but I would love options like perhaps paying extra for a child free flight. Just personal preference but I fly a lot, long haul, mostly business, and the odd occasion where there is a crying child on a night flight is really difficult. I appreciate that can hardly be helped though which is why I’m saying I would pay extra to avoid that - it’s a me issue. What I do find is a larger problem than children on flights is the parents of some children on flights and in airports - if we’re talking about banning things then Trunkis are high on my list.

I think that Economy was created so that there was a place for the masses - which includes babies and small children. For those who wished to avoid that, they could/can stay in the more expensive seats that were the original cheap seats to pack in extras who wouldn't have been able to afford First Class (when it was the only class available) and likely thought to be more disruptive to those travelling for very important work/needing to sleep to avoid jetlag/work/travel undisturbed by people they didn't want to be sharing an aisle with.

Same. Often had to fly long haul with dds from small babies, back and forth from Middle East, and for holidays. Never had any screaming, and I certainly never let them kick the backs of seats.

Only problem ever was of me arriving with top/trousers showing exactly what they’d managed to spill or smear over me!