To wonder if child free cabins on planes will ever happen?

[MrsJaxTeller]

Am I the only person who would happily pay for a child free cabin on a plane? We have 4 children and have flown with them both long and short haul when they were younger. I would never have allowed my children to kick seats or be a nuisance to other passengers on flights. I'm actually dreading our holiday in a few days after last years experience when a child had an iPad and watched bloody Paw Patrol for nearly 4 and a half hours. He screamed at the top of his voice "Chase is on the Case" every bloody episode then gave everyone a blow by blow description of what was happening in every episode. Yes, I understand children need to be entertained on long flights BUT the family in question eventually were spoken to by the cabin crew as a lot of passengers in our cabin were complaining about his behaviour. He was jumping on seats and hanging on to back of my seat while he jumped up and down. I tried to put my headphones in but that didn't help when he was rocking my seat by holding onto the headrest and jumping on his. As I said, am I the only person who would happily pay for a child free cabin?

I know the thread is in page 11 but I can't get over the "tell the child not to kick." I do tell. They keep kicking. Since we can't smack children, the only way to prevent them from doing that is physically restraining them (holding their legs and repeating they can't kick, etc). Which you would need 8 arms to do with 4 kids.

Unless, of course, your children are extremely weak-willed (is that a word?) and will just follow orders... Not all children are like that, you know...

What about SEN adults ?

Isn't it called first class?

(I know it isn't. But the pricing model is there!)

Niloufes he was screaming on take off and landing because his ears were hurting! Children's ear canals are especially sensitive to pressure.

Personally I don't have a problem with my children - but then I give them a bit of alcohol before and after.

I have flown regularly with my 1 year old since he was a few weeks old and would LOVE if they brought in child free cabins. It would take so much pressure off knowing that anyone who's really that bothered by an upset and/or misbehaving child, would be in a separate area.

It's difficult when they're tiny though. I took ds to visit family last week and he was pretty good on the plane (9mo.)
He's generally a bit of a charmer and smiles at everyone but he cried for about five minutes at one point. I tried to restrain him throughout the flight but at one point he did reach through the seats and tap the lady in front ( I apologised and he's vey cute so all was well I hope!) I think as long as you can see parents are trying ( and the vast majority are) then really there's not a huge problem

What does bother me is older kids kicking seats - there's no need for that, or older kids running riot. However, I have to say that's pretty rare ( and I fly quite a bit.) most of the bad behaviour I see on flights is adult initiated. I've only encountered the sort of 'Tabitha is just expressing herself' parents a few times. Most do the best they can. You don't fly with kids for fun ( well, I do t.)

Unless, of course, your children are extremely weak-willed (is that a word?) and will just follow orders... Not all children are like that, you know...

Is this the latest way of excusing poor parenting? Deriding well behaved children as "weak willed"?

Sounds more like weak willed parenting to me.

So a quick google of a week in New York from 2 - 9 Aug brings up
Upper Class return 2 adults and a child under 12 at £4743.
Economy £2291
Upper Class you are in your own little pod, and have China service with proper knives and forks. All food and drink on tap whenever you want it, less of a queue for the toilet, can have your legs stretched out full length for take off and landing. Converting to a full lay down bed. You will have no children kicking you, it's impossible.
Now surely if you are that bothered by other people's children you would rather take a holiday once every 2 years as opposed to every year for pretty much the same price.

I flew to Greece a few weeks ago, 4 hour flight, and with a very active and often grumpy 2 year old I was dreading it. Mostly for the other passengers. As it turned out he and his 6 year old sister were as near to angelic as they could be and because we were prepared I ended up being a mini creche for the other children around us.

As for child free cabins, I bet that would be amazing even just for a flight ✈😊 OP if you get one can I come somewhere 😂

"I think as long as you can see parents are trying ( and the vast majority are) then really there's not a huge problem"

Absolutely. While I don't like unruly children on planes I can be totally sympathetic towards parents who are trying to control them. It is the ones who don't care that make me see red.

"What does bother me is older kids kicking seats - there's no need for that, or older kids running riot."

This. Obviously any child with extra needs needs allowances made for them, but I think we all know that we are referring to NT children here.

How can you tell if they are SN though, unless they all wear a sign around their necks!! People need to learn tolerance, whatever the reason. My son has AS, but I would be letting him down if I neglected to try to teach him tolerance towards others.

I chose not to take my children on a flight until they were older because I knew they wouldn't enjoy being sat on a plane not being able to move around freely, I didn't want to deal with them in that situation and I certainly wouldn't expect anyone else to put up with it! Why should anyone have to put up with someone else's child kicking/pulling on their seat, shouting, whining etc? Parents should occupy their children quietly or not go abroad. Our boys were 8 & 10 when we first took them on a plane and they lived it, they were old enough to be respectful to others and old enough to understand that their ears might hurt, something else I worried about when they were small. Babies and young children don't care about going abroad! They're happy wherever they are as long as parents make it fun and play with them 😊 We had lots of lovely holidays in the uk when they were little.

Not if you have a child with ASD or other sensory or developmental issues.

All these people telling OP sarcastically that she should have a medal for raising 4 impeccably behaved kids: Yes, she does!!

It's hard to raise polite, well behaved children. It's takes lots of effort, day in, day out, week after week, month after month, year after year. Some children are easier than others. Some are a fucking nightmare. Chances are, with 4 kids, she's had at least one of each.

I'm so over parents making out like they're hapless bystanders in the growth of their children. It's hard, fucking, work. Some parents put in more work than others. That's it. So yes, she has my admiration.

(Exception of course for children who cannot (note, not "will" not) learn for reasons beyond their control).

I would pay double fare for a child-free flight.

Funny, a couple of years ago in the New York Times' "Motherlode" (parenting) column it was suggested that all families with young children be booked into rows near one another - essentially leaving the rest of the cabin childfree. The people who objected the most were parents! It was quite amusing and telling.

I'd pay and I don't get why people are so offended, kids are annoying, mine are annoying, my suspected ADHD DD is annoying, they can't control their behaviour as well as most adults and in a confined space it is hellish. I'd probably just pay to fly child free to have a rest from my own kids and it's why we've not travelled much since having kids.

I empathise with anyone trying to manage their kids in such situations, I'd never ignore disruptive behaviour or them causing problems for other people. DD will do things she's been told not to, several times, but I'd still tell her off every time and do whatever possible to minimise disturbing others.

I doubt it.

I would like to see the return of compartment coaches on trains, so you can travel in quiet and without disturbance. One thing Europe could teach us- ours went out in the 1970s.

As I said in my OP I would happily pay for a child free CABIN on a plane. I never once said children shouldn't fly. What I asked was am I the only one? Clearly I'm not the only person who would be happy to pay extra given by some of the posts on here.

I've read a few posts that suggest a quiet cabin which would be ideal. As I also said earlier in the thread we book adult only hotels, go into the adult only lounges before flying and generally enjoy a completely child free holiday. I see absolutely nothing wrong in not wanting to spend time with children.

Yes, we have 4 children. I had 4 children under the age of 5 at one point. fuck knows how I survived these years. I have no idea why they all travelled so well but they did. I would never have tolerated them kicking seats or jumping on them as I was very aware of other passengers comfort. DH sat with 2 of our children and I sat with the other 2. Our flights were spent entertaining our children and not relaxing ourselves.

I've read a few comments about tolerance and understanding. Well, that applies to everyone and not just people travelling with children doesn't it? Perhaps some understanding that not everyone wants to hear a running commentary of bloody Paw Patrol, have their seat booted, play peek-boo through seats, have your hair pulled, have toys launched from behind into your seat etc should be considered by parents travelling with children.

I read another thread today about a 2 year old who had a tantrum on a flight. The replies on that thread astounded me, especially one poster who had bought her child chocolate fingers and the child wiped their chocolate covered hands over a passenger in front. Then there was the poster whose child swiped food from another passenger. There was also a post that a hot coffee had been spilled over a passenger due to a child kicking a seat. There was numerous posts on that thread that REALLY made me wish for a child free cabin!

Perhaps they want to create family memories on holiday, not just get rat arsed? Don't judge a book.....

YABVU Have you ever thought the child may have autism or ADHD or both! Have a bit of tolerance and acceptance that not every person has it so easy in life! You should count yourself lucky that you or your 4 perfect children haven't had such struggles.

I would assume if the child had SN his parents wouldn't have been quaffing wine with earphones in I would also assume cabin staff wouldn't have intervened if the child had SN? Oddly enough, after the cabin staff intervened the awful behaviour stopped once the parent actually started parenting the child.

What about an adult with severe learning difficulties that makes loud noises and bangs their head onto the seat in front. Would you ban those too?! How about learn a bit of tolerance.

I could not, and would not be able to go through a flight with someone banging themselves on my seat behind me. I have back issues and someone hitting me in the back constantly for a flight would leave me in a lot of pain. I would quietly speak to the flight attendant and if they were not able to stop due to additional needs, I would expect to be moved.

Whilst allowances need to be made for people with additional needs, I would expect someone travelling with someone who is likely to do this to either book a bulkhead seat so there is not a seat in front of them, or discuss with the airlines about having the seat in front of them left free.

MidniteScribbler me too. Though apparently i look to young to have any sort of disability
I could not go long periods with someone kicking my seat.
I'm not an intolerant bitch, i have a medical issues

My 11 year old would love the idea of a child-free cabin on a plane, as long as he was allowed in it. We fly a lot and he is always the one that ends up with the child behind him that kicks his seat, throws stuff over, reaches thought the gap to grab his stuff and is generally a pain. They generally come accompanied by the useless parent who says and does nothing to stop them.

Luckily he has an assertive Mum, who steps in and politely asked the parent to speak to their child. Only once has a request been ignored, so the child for a bloody good telling off instead. No more issues after that.

The worst flights are always the Middle East, with the ex-pat brats and the locals who just allow their kids to do anything. A 2am flight back from Qatar once, we had a 3 year old running up and down the plane, poking people, whilst the parents slept. They didn't sleep for long to be fair, when I returned their child to them with a few stern words.

To be fair though, we do fly a lot and I would say that it's only been about 25% of the time there have been issues. Most parents I have come across make sure they bring lots of things to keep their children occupied and do ensure they don't kick seats etc. Good parenting and well behaved children is not down to luck, it's down to hard work by the parents. (If you think it's luck, then you need to stop the lazy parenting).

When we travel/go out I pack books, iPads, colouring, stickers, craft, DVDs, iPads and small wrapped up things to open. We tire them out first. We are on the go non stop (probably getting right on everyone's tits with pur enthusiastic distracting and entertaining). Just s trip to the shop/wagamamas leaves me utterly exhausted. Not saying I should not do i, just pointing out how much effort is often put in to my 'lazy' parenting. The dc still do whatever the fuck they want.

The thing is, you can be the best parent in the world but it does take a compliant child to meet you half way. If they simply won't comply in any way, you are just pissing into the wind. So yes, you have to have the luck of having a child who actually gives some kind of crap about what you do or punishments.

I know it's nice to think all your parenting successes are entirely down to all your hard work - that's just human nature. But without some element of luck by having a willing child, all of your excellent parenting falls on deaf ears.

It's not jealousy, it's just a fact. Which is constantly confirmed by all the peads and child specialists I have spoken to.