V-Flyer

I know, I know, it's loose women, not exactly a source of good information!

However, whilst in the coffee room at lunch today this was on the tv (not my choice I can assure you). They were discussing whether or not there should be flights that are child free!

Did anyone else happen to see it? Mixed views but felt it swayed towered the fact that the option should be there!

Also, those parents who do work hard to try and keep their children under control whilst screaming would perhaps feel less pressure if those who complain about the screaming do have an option to fly child-free!

My view is I think it would be great! I have no issues with children, however, I would like the chance to pay more on perhaps special occasions to fly child free! Same as adult-only hotels exist!

I suppose it all comes down to practicality and what makes both business and financial sense! Clearly wouldn't work on all routes! Perhaps sections of the plane could be child free much like a 'quiet zone' on the trains!

What's your view?

Luke

No problem as long as they also institute flights that have separate areas for people who;

- talk loudly about how expensive their tickets were

- insist they are "travellers" and not "tourists" and talk about "living the local life".

- read "Hello" or some other publication and loudly relate "oh there's Jocasta" repeatedly throughout the flight;

- complain throughout that they usually fly in upper / first or whatever and really don't understand why they weren't upgraded and think they should be able to use the upper / first toilets

- as before but with reference to how they are always upgraded by BA / UA/ AA/ Delta whoever.

- treat cc as personal servants with no respect

- insist on using their computers / iphones/ blackberry until the point at which the power kicks in on take off

- have personal hygene "issues"

- don't understand the concept of personal space

- ostensibly read / talk during the safety demo

- try to engage me in conversation when I'm watching "Family Guy", "Spooks", "Mad Men" or other high quality entertainment

- drink too much (but that would only be so I could have a dedicated space to sleep it off).

pjh wrote:No problem as long as they also institute flights that have separate areas for people who

- talk loudly about how expensive their tickets were

- insist they are "travellers" and not "tourists" and talk about "living the local life".

- read "Hello" or some other publication and loudly relate "oh there's Jocasta" repeatedly throughout the flight;

- complain throughout that they usually fly in upper / first or whatever and really don't understand why they weren't upgraded and think they should be able to use the upper / first toilets

- as before but with reference to how they are always upgraded by BA / UA/ AA/ Delta whoever.

- treat cc as personal servants with no respect

- insist on using their computers / iphones/ blackberry until the point at which the power kicks in on take off

- have personal hygene "issues"

- don't understand the concept of personal space

- ostensibly read / talk during the safety demo

- try to engage me in conversation when I'm watching "Family Guy", "Spooks", "Mad Men" or other high quality entertainment

- drink too much (but that would only be so I could have a dedicated space to sleep it off).

Just a couple of things then!

I have nothing against children but I do think the option to pay more for a quiet zone would be good.

enyce085 wrote:

pjh wrote:...snip...
- try to engage me in conversation when I'm watching "Family Guy", "Spooks", "Mad Men" or other high quality entertainment

- drink too much (but that would only be so I could have a dedicated space to sleep it off).

Just a couple of things then!

Yep, you caught me at my optimum "Grumpy Old Man" moment after a long day

pjh wrote:

enyce085 wrote:

pjh wrote:...snip...
- try to engage me inconversationn when I'm watching "Family Guy", "Spooks", "Mad Men" or other high quality entertainment

- drink too much (but that would only be so I could have a dedicated space to sleep it off).

Just a couple of things then!

Yep, you caught me at my optimum "Grumpy Old Man" moment after a long day

Lol you've made some fair points I agree and a few of those were discussed on tv earlier! E.g. Those who drink too much resulting in behavior that would offend!

I just felt it would be interesting to gauge opinion on this subject from the forum here to see how it differs from those on loose women, clearly there are some people on here who have had far more experience flying and may have some different views.

While I have had my own experience of child-related incident on a plane, I think child-free would only work on very specific routes.
I tend to only fly to Orlando, so there is no chance of that ever being child free. However, if once on the plane the left turn was completely child-free (a small section of EC, PE and UC) I wouldn't complain about that - the exit rows creates a 'natural' barrier that kids could be stopped passing and having the bubble to put those families with kids that want PE.

Then again, what then?

My friend travels to Paris on her own regularly with her family and found out that you can book a carriage on Eurostar that is allocated for people with very small children. She uses it a lot and says it makes her less stressed knowing everyone around her understands the demands of a young family and she isn't permanently apologising! Personally I agree with others that adults usually cause me more upset than children on planes, but if the demand is there and it suits everyone why not?

Nothing to stop allocating certain rows in each cabin for adults only especially if its a perceived additional revenue stream..

However the same should be done, preferably last 3 rows in Y for "large groups" and single sex parties, who in my experience cause more disruption than any kid..

MCO route won't happen, nor will any Euro/med route - its core business- especially given they don't need to dish out miles for those seats (damn, there I go again..)


Child-free flights won't happen..

Child free flights ? Fantastic idea and would get my vote !

I do remember a child free Zone a couple of years ago and when one "errant" child decided to poke its head through the curtain, the parent quickly came and grabbed it away before it could be corrunpted by the V-Flyer Party Bus !! he he. Was a flight never to forget for all the right reasons (except my liver has still yet to forgive Pete !)

I flew business class on Qatar a couple of years ago on the way to Singapore. The Arab gentleman across the aisle was on his own and was peacefully reading his newspaper. Soon after take off a small child with its mother came through the curtain and wanted to use the business class toilets. The cc promptly shooed them both back into economy.

It turned out his wife and three children were sat in Y while he had a peaceful 7 hours alone in business

Why this focus on children I wonder - we need them you know, who's going to fly the planes, run the country and clean the toilets when we're all old!!!

Seriously though, how far do we take this - as P has said, there are VERY many other things that are annoying whilst sharing a tube with several hundred other people for half a day...

If the airlines think there's a market, and it doesn't restrict their scheduling too much, I guess they'll do it.

It would cut down flexibility when delays occur though - just think, 2 flights a day, the second "adults only". First plane goes tech and has a load of kids booked - what do you do?

Totally unnecessary and unworkable; unless, of course, we follow Paul's suggestion and have fat-people-free-flights, smelly-people-free-flights, drunk-people-free-flights, insufferable-people-free-flights, snoring-people-free-fligts, you-know-the-taxpayer-paid-£10K-for-my-seat-people-free-flights etc. etc.

mdvipond wrote:unless, of course, we follow Paul's suggestion and have fat-people-free-flights, smelly-people-free-flights, drunk-people-free-flights, insufferable-people-free-flights, snoring-people-free-fligts, you-know-the-taxpayer-paid-£10K-for-my-seat-people-free-flights etc. etc.

Excellent ideas all y) ):

mdvipond wrote:Totally unnecessary and unworkable; unless, of course, we follow Paul's suggestion and have fat-people-free-flights, smelly-people-free-flights, drunk-people-free-flights, insufferable-people-free-flights, snoring-people-free-fligts, you-know-the-taxpayer-paid-£10K-for-my-seat-people-free-flights etc. etc.

Damn. Diet, drying out, nasal surgery, here I come.

or just have a 388 and have the top deck for pax who dont have kids and are not listed by mdvipond and the lower deck for all the others. just close off the staircase(s).

Its public transport at the end of the day.
On which some seats are bigger than others, but overall open to the rich tapestry that is the "general public", no matter what bank or department you work for, you still fit into this..

If we don't like it, charter a jet, financed personally of course..

pjh wrote:No problem as long as they also institute flights that have separate areas for people who;

- talk loudly about how expensive their tickets were

- insist they are "travellers" and not "tourists" and talk about "living the local life".

- read "Hello" or some other publication and loudly relate "oh there's Jocasta" repeatedly throughout the flight;

- complain throughout that they usually fly in upper / first or whatever and really don't understand why they weren't upgraded and think they should be able to use the upper / first toilets

- as before but with reference to how they are always upgraded by BA / UA/ AA/ Delta whoever.

- treat cc as personal servants with no respect

- insist on using their computers / iphones/ blackberry until the point at which the power kicks in on take off

- have personal hygene "issues"

- don't understand the concept of personal space

- ostensibly read / talk during the safety demo

- try to engage me in conversation when I'm watching "Family Guy", "Spooks", "Mad Men" or other high quality entertainment

- drink too much (but that would only be so I could have a dedicated space to sleep it off).

What he said y)

Yep I'll be honest it's usually the adults that give us more problems than the children, but that said I wouldn't want to be stuck sat behind screaming children for nine hours and we'll definitly be booking an adult only hotel for our holiday this year after having peace and quiet repeatedly shattered last year. But as many have said it's usually the adults to blame if their children are allowed to run riot with no control

Personally, business class without young children, sounds like a good idea to me . Experienced some past business class flights with rather unruly children and it's so annoying when little was done to keep the kids under control. I have no problem with children being on flights, but isn't that what economy is for? lol

Seriously, not sure that I this will take off ( cuse the pun) but an interesting topic.

totallylost wrote:I have no problem with children being on flights, but isn't that what economy is for? lol

No, thats what the hold is for.

I remember fondly as a child my parents would clime that lovely adult only spiral staircase to join the other over 21s (as it was then) having cocktails and a smoke in the piano bar whilst all us kiddies and nannies could play quiet happily in the pointy bit - that seem to work out fine for all

In my experience it is parents who are the problem; too many of them do not seem able to/want to/ keep tabs on their kiddies.

So what age constitues a child then? Under fives...noisy some of the time but generally fall asleep for much of the flight. 9-12's generally engrossed in the tv or playing games, never had much problem with them. So the worst would be the 6-9's then who need to burn off energy, are they the ones we don't want???

thelaceys wrote:So what age constitues a child then? Under fives...noisy some of the time but generally fall asleep for much of the flight. 9-12's generally engrossed in the tv or playing games, never had much problem with them. So the worst would be the 6-9's then who need to burn off energy, are they the ones we don't want???

I guess individual experiences will determine opinion on this! It depends if you've been sat in Y to MCO and had 3 under 5's screaming the whole flight or the 6-9 range where they are running loose like a playground whilst the parents sit back and enjoy a drink and movie apparently "oblivious" to any problem or finally the older 10-15 range who perhaps know better but depending on the family can be noisy, push chairs etc.

Everyone has mentioned various complaints on flights apart from children, but it seems children tend to be the number 1 complaint, hence the reason I expect it was discussed on tv!

To be clear I have no problem with kids, I love them but what I DO have a problem with is parents who take children of ANY age on a flight and expect to leave their parental duties at home!

just wait for the new A330's and re fitted 744's when all of those 9-12's will be watching TV or playing games constantly hitting the screen behind your head