To wish that child free flights existed

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

I'm just sick of people complaining about children making noise on flights so I'd love it if those people could have a flight of their very own and leave us to it! I'm not talking about allowing kids to run amok but so fed up with people tutting and sighing when a baby starts crying, this always seems to result in the mother getting more stressed and more tears all round

[EeyoreIsh]

I'd agree with those that say that adults can be more annoying. For sure!

[ManAliveThisThingsFantastic]

If people are going to moan about children going on their holidays/going to see family then they should upgrade. Chances are there will not be any children present.
Afraid to say, my DP isn't big on children crying in confined spaces so we always fly first and never seen a child in there. It's much easier than being embarrassed by any moan/tut that dare to pass his lips.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

There's nothing to be sorry about Eeyore, It sounds like Hugo's dad wanted everyone to know he wasn't just being a brat and ended up being the annoying one himself

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

Ds1 has flown many times and one flight in particular stays with me. Manchester - JFK we were n the economy bulkhead and behind us was mr. Important business man. He tutted and huffed and puffed at us for the whole flight. Ds1 however was complimented by all the economy crew and the other passengers around us for being so well behaved, it was even mentioned loudly that he'd been better mannered than the gentleman sat behind him.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Out of control kids which are old enough to be controlled are a different matter. This is making me worried. DD is 2 and acts like a very busy 2 yo. However, she has long hair and looks older. Wears lot of 4, 5 and 6 yo clothes. People always think she is much older therefore they think she is horribly behaved. Maybe I will have a t-shirt printed, "I am only 2, please expect some toddler behaviour".

[MrsOakenshield]

oh god, reclining seats, bloody hate them! Far worse than any crying child!

I've only ever sat next to a baby once, flying out to Australia. The baby was fine but it was very small and the mother radiated anxiety, poor woman.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Any chance you're flying in August MrsTerry? If so hide behind my 3 ( I'm terrified) I hate them too MrsOakenshield I had a thug in front refuse to put her seat forward even when we were trying to eat our meal

[MrsTerryPratchett]

No caterpillar, July. Dammit, we could have organised a MN flight. no Fruit Shoots, lots of children.

[badbride]

Small children should be stowed safely in the overhead lockers or under the seat in front of you.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Then where would we put our duty free

[ItsintheBag]

When mine were smaller and seem to suffer with their ears I gave them nurophen, at least if their ears got sore it took a good amount of the pain away.Usually gave it an hour before take off.My GP suggested it when I was flying with two kids with blocked noses and colds.It really helped.

[Katiepoes]

I don't want a family section. I fly regularly with my toddler, she's never been a problem at all (to my surprise), bar the one time another older toddler sat in fron of us. He spent the flight gurning and yelling at her over the back of his seat and frankly being a pain. I'd go for the divide and conquer approach to seating small people.

BTW I pay full fare for my toddler, we will sit where we damn well please - fat business men taking up half my seat...stag parties on their hungover way home from Amsterdam... holiday makers on their way back from Dubai or Shangahi with 15x the allowed cabin baggage - give them their own 'irritating arsehole' section.

[lurkedtoolong]

I do feel very sorry for babies on planes. Their poor eustachian tubes aren't so small and the pain they must be in from pressure changes must be awful. Yes it is a pain for other passengers when babies cry but I feel more sorry for the baby.

Older children being allowed to behave badly really angers me though. We went through a five hour flight with a 7/8 year-old constantly kicking the seat only to be told "He's really bored, I can't stop him". Then being shouted at by the stewardess when we asked to move seats because of the bad behaviour.

[DeepPurple]

I've been very lucky that DD 3.6 loves flying and happily entertains herself. It's the only time she is allowed to watch peppa pig back to back for 7 hours

If the noise bothers other adults so much then they can invest in noise reduction headphones. They are a marvellous invention! They aren't even that expensive anymore. There was a child on a flight I was on that cried for 6 hours straight. I barely heard a thing with the headphones on but got it full force when I took them off. I felt very sorry for the poor mother. Other people did try to help but the child was having none of it.

[arabesque]

Oh God yes, seat recliners are the most annoying people on planes. Closely followed by people who stow their luggage at the front of the plane and then take seats further down so that the people sitting at the front can't have their bag close by if they need something. Also, people who know they tend to need the loo a lot but also want a window seat so spend the whole flight clambering in and out past you.
All a lot more annoying than a parent desperately trying to keep a crying baby quiet.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Yes that's not fair Lurked, I bring things for my older child to do and having my chair kicked would drive me mad TBH, hopefully if my baby does cry I'll be lucky with my fellow passengers

[badbride]

1VeryHungrycaterpillar On your lap. Alternatively, just drink the lot: floor level lighting will guide you to the exit when it's time to disembark

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Then someone will post a thread about the mum off her nut on a plane, guess I'll be too drunk to care, I'll go for lap the baby can scooch over

[SquinkiesRule]

I have found adults and teens to a lot more annoying that babies and small children on flights.
I've been flying long haul with babies/kids for the last 25 years (oldest is 25 and youngest is 8) not once has anyone complained about them.
Part of the problem is parents who don't prepare for the flight properly. In all those years I've only had two flights that had annoying noisy babies/toddlers on. One where the parent allowed the kid about 2 to constantly bounce and kick, my drinks and food were all over the place and a flight attendant told them a few times. The other was two couples who dumped their 5 children ranging from about 6 to 14 in cattle class and went and sat in business and slept through the flight. The kids were horribly behaved.
Adults who dislike kids should prepare better too, take ear plugs and be prepared to be assertive when kids are kicking seat, don't sit and seethe, tell the parents and the child to knock it off.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I have high hopes for the Dora and Toy Story games I have purchased for DD. They will keep her completely entertained for 9 hours right?

My favorite flight with her was when she was a tiny baby and our flight was cancelled, thanks Air Transat. We were changing flight so I was 11 hours in an airport with a tiny baby and nowhere to put her down. PFB so couldn't leave her in her car seat. I held her for hours. My back was knackered by the time I got on the flight. Then I was next to a lovely, charming teenager. Her friends who visited her however, thought BFing was ewwweewwwweee. I like to think I helped their school's pregnancy rate by taking that flight.

[Kendodd]

People should just get over themselves and have a bit more tolerance. There are people in the world called children and they act in a different way to other people in the world called adults. Children have every bit as much right to travel on PUBLIC transport as adults do and if the adults can't share the space they should do as somebody mentioned up thread and take a private plane.

That said, a couple I know treated themselves to a once in a lifetime retirement holiday and up graded to business class for the one and only time in their life. Just as they sat down, champagne glass in hand, a toddler came and sat down next to them.

[theoriginalandbestrookie]

I'd like drunk free flights, flights free from those who recline their seat from the moment they are allowed for the entire time, flights free from people who take up most of my seat leaving me likely to get DVT, flights free from old people who are likely to talk to me oh yes and flights free of people bringing those huge carry ons which mean I have to keep my normal sized bag under the seat.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Did he/she behave? Just playing devils advocate for a moment, you have a 7 year old kicking your chair etc through boredom the parents remonstrate and it still carries on the parents threaten to take away a toy and it still carries on, what are they supposed to do? There should be more leniency in a situation where you can't just leave. Negating your responsibility and leaving your children in a different class on the plane is taking the piss though

[Purplemonster]

I have to confess, I think I used to be one of those huffy anti children on flights people though I feel ashamed now!

The last flight I took was a few years ago, it was before I had discovered mums net so I didn't know any better. We saw lots if children in the queue and purposefully went to the back if the plane and I do confess I shared a look of horror with my travelling companion when the flight attendants ushered ALL of the people with small children to the back and seated them all around us. Hopefully the mums didn't see and we both stuck our headphones in for the entire flight so didn't huff about the crying but I look back now and I'd hate to think I made those poor mums even more stressed but I was childless and iin my 20s and didn't know any better! Karma will no doubt come back to bite me on the ass now I'm having my first child so I'll get my comeuppance

[fastyspeedyfast]

^^What theoriginalandbest said

I'm on countless longhauls every year, and the only people who have ever annoyed me are other adults.