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?

Sorry I do get the seat kicking being an issue. I wouldn't be able to stick that. Fair enough

Last time I flew Qatar Airways economy I was put next to a maid with a tiny baby. After the baby had vomited on me the lady lay down under my feet and slept leaving the baby rolling around on the seat. Never, ever again.

In first class in alot of the main airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore etc etc you have your own cabin so all those saying they would happily pay should just put their money where their mouth is.
I've never been on any flight where a child had been intolerable, adults on the other hand are a different story...

Etihad booths are lovely. Its like being in a little box made of garden trellis

Whiney Saudi airlines don't fly our routes sadly.

I have had people be so rude to me when my son has had complete meltdowns on flights before. I had one crew member tell me 'Why can't you control your child' and another time a passenger told me 'You clearly have no control over your children. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.'

It's a good thing I have the hide of an elephant and a DH who earns enough that owning a private plane is something we could do in the future if we can keep growing the business.

Isn't premium economy / business class already the child-free bit of the plane? (Mostly, at least)

I can't believe that a parent can get so riled about normal children's behaviour! Surely you have the "tune out" button that a normal parent would have. If you were coming on here as a childless person, then maybe (just) I could understand your view.
Enjoy your private jet, because that's the only way you will ever get your peace and quiet!
You even get them in First Class too.
Or you could all get in your car and drive to a holiday spot in the UK with your perfect non squabbling perfect children.

I don't disagree with you, OP, from two sides. 1/ I think it's perfectly acceptable for people to want to fly in peace. You have quiet carriages in trains - I don't get the problem 2/ It would mean that if I'm flying with toddlers, I can hope that they're not absolutely horrifying any of the other passengers in the cabin because the ones who find them infuriating have probably paid to be somewhere where the toddlers are not. Everyone's a winner!

pacific DH has a couple of times booked our seats in business and the kids in the back with the other family member travelling with us. After take off we put DS in the front with DH and I sit in the back. After dinner DH and I swap. We get so many funny looks but we do it because they won't let DS or DD in the front at the start of the flight.

X-post...

For me it's not kids playing up that ruins a flight, it's parents who do F all to try to calm their children down

In first class in alot of the main airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore etc etc you have your own cabin so all those saying they would happily pay should just put their money where their mouth is.

But I just want a child-free space, not the fuss and expense of a first class ticket

Wimple Depends on the airline. Coming from Newark airport to the UK I'm limited to United or BA. Both are normally ok. When we go to denmark we can only fly with SAS. They don't allow kids in business and they don't have a first on that route.

I fly out twice a month on a Thursday night and return Sunday. I often can't get two or three seats in business as I fly to Manchester. If I book economy I add us to the upgrade list but they always bypass us even when 3 seats are available.

Queen Then go private. Nothing stopping you.

But then you would only be separated by a curtain, so all the screaming and hollering would still affect you!

Private is even more expensive!

I'd pay more than a standard ticket, but not as much as first

If you want to use public transport without certain members of society then get a private jet. If you have well behaved children yourself then you should know how ridiculous you are being. Btw the only problems I have had on planes were with drunk adults. At least children don't drink.

In all seriousness, is it just me who gets more stressed by her own children's misbehaviour or even just the possibility of their behaviour disturbing somebody else on a flight than other people's children?
I still remember the cold sweats i suffered on a short flight during with DS3 did not stop screaming (his eardrum popped discharging masses of pus a few hours later…), whereas other children crying/screeching leaves me unphased.
Kicking of the back of my seat? I would say something, to the child and/or their parent. I'd be nice about it. And I would fully accept an explanation if the child had any additional needs.

Want, hats off to you for your sanguine posts. Your DS is lucky to have you by his side. Hope the private jet is in your future. How cool

But I just want a child-free space, not the fuss and expense of a first class ticket

I like the fuss, it's the best bit

Oh allegreto, if they did a cabin which banned the following:

• loud chewing
• loud breathing
• loud laughing
• arm rest hogging
• leg spreading

Etc etc then I'd buy a ticket for that too

Pacific, no you are not.
Your poor DS, he must have been in so much pain. I tell everyone I know with young children to buy 'Earplanes'. Their ear canals aren't formed properly, so they really help.

Does anyone remember the poster recently who was pregnant and very very cross that she was not allowed to wander up and down first class despite only having an economy ticket?

Did she complain in the end?

Lots of people including child free flyers had lollipops in there hand luggage on our last flight. That worked well for keeping our kids quite and still at least. Def on my list for next months.journey.

Crate them and put them in the hold.

When we flew to Vancouver with DS1 (10m at the time) we got on the plane last (as didn't want to try to make him sit still for any longer than absolutely necessary). The plane was full. We got to our seats and he promptly vomited all over all three of our seats (he had just had a decent breakfast so there was an abundance of beans and scrambled egg). He yogged all over dh and me and himself, then as i was rushing him towards the back of the plane to the toilet he puked all along the aisle and even some poor innocent travellers. Even for a child who had had severe reflux this was an impressive amount of vomit. We had packed a change of clothes for him but not us.

The plane was delayed by 45 mins while the big clean up had to happen and because our seats were so covered on puke we were moved to a completely different part of the plane. Leaving all those surrounding passengers to sit in the most foul stench of yog for the whole 11 hours.

We felt so so so bad, especially when during the flight some of the witnesses to the incident sought us out to see 'how the little guy was' a they were 'so worried' about him. As we toddled round the plane people enquired after him, picked him up, said how concerned they had been and generally were the nicest bunch of utter bastards you could ever meet. I will never forgive them for making us feel so bloody bad. That's what you get with a plane full of fucking lovely selfish Canadians.