Kid free flights: No crying allowed

Dreaming of a peaceful flight.

European airline, Ryanair, announced recently that it would begin offering adult-only flights. The press release stated, “When it comes to children we all love our own but would clearly prefer to avoid other people’s little monsters when traveling.”

Flying can be a stressful experience for anybody. Add a screaming child to the mix, and nobody is happy. One unhappy little one can ruin a flight for every passenger involved, especially the parent’s of that little bundle of joy.

Passengers may have their naps interrupted, but imagine how the parents feel. Being the subject of every dirty look or whispered complaint around you is not a pleasant feeling.  Being unable to silence your own child is bad enough without an audience. By the end of these flights everyone involved is ready for a vacation from their vacation.

So perhaps Ryanair is on to something? Some airlines have tossed around the idea of having kid-free-zones on their planes. A poll taken by Skyscanner found that 59% of fliers supported a section reserved for families with children.

So, would it really work? According to a recent survey by TripAdvisor, a third of travelers polled would willingly pay extra in order to avoid sitting next to other people’s children.

The idea of kid free flights may be a bit of a stretch. However kid-free zones, or perhaps a more friendly term, family-zones, could be a simple enough practice to implement. If travelers are willing to pay the price for peace, why not save everyone the stress?

Will it ever happen? A spokesperson for AirTran told USA Today that it is not in any short-term plans. But adds that in the airline industry, you should never say never.