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Wednesday 1 August 2012

A third of Britons willing to pay higher fares for child-free flights








What do you think of children on planes?

A third of Britons willing to pay higher fares for child-free flights

We recently surveyed our community of travellers to find out what’s highest on the list when it comes to negative flying experiences and badly behaved children came out as one of the biggest frustrations for Brits.

The survey of over 2,000 Britons*, reveals that 22% of respondents claim that having a child kicking the back of their seat is their biggest pet peeve, while 22% said parents not controlling their children is their biggest frustration when flying. The number one faux pas, according to 29% of Britons, are inconsiderate seat recliners.

The survey also reveals that some Britons are so exasperated with unruly children on flights that 37% would be willing to fork higher fares for a child-free flight. When asked whether young children should be allowed to fly in first-class or business-class cabins, opinions were divided – 34% feel they should be excluded while 36% feel that they shouldn’t, with the remainder undecided.

“Even on a short-haul holiday the flight makes up a significant part of the travel experience, and 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”, commented Emma Shaw, TripAdvisor spokesperson.  “Whether we can expect to see any airlines offering child-free flights in the future remains to be seen, but it’s clearly a topic that fiercely divides opinion.”

*survey carried out on 2,233 Britons, between 12th and 27th April 2012