Planes and children are a pairing that is not always well matched. Although the number of minors on any flight is small in relation to the total ticket, their mere presence in the boarding queue causes some uneasiness among some travelers. Not everyone welcomes the possibility of becoming their neighbors on the way, for fear that their crying or, simply, their vitality will alter the peacefulness of the flight.
But the truth is that those who travel with children do not always have it easy. A baby up to two years old can fly for free, but if the adult is accompanied by a second minor or if they are traveling with a single child over this age, the policy of most companies establishes that they will occupy a seat and must pay for it. This does not guarantee, however, that they can sit in adjacent seats, a circumstance that, in addition to becoming a headache for families - and for the crew -, can lead to uncomfortable situations with other passengers.
The most common solution in these cases is to try to group them, something that sometimes becomes complicated. And precisely for this reason, the topic is the subject of recurring debate on social networks between those who complain of having been required on the plane by airline staff to change seats - which some confess to having refused -, and those who They complain about the lack of sensitivity with the refusal.
Vanesa, a flight attendant for a Spanish company with ten years of experience (she has asked not to mention the name of the airline to maintain anonymity) confirms that it is common to separate children from their families: “The seat assignment is random and not "It does not take into account the passenger's data or age." When these cases occur, the crew tries to resolve the incidents in the most satisfactory way for everyone. "If those affected identify the problem when boarding the plane, we always try to group them together, although doing so is conditional on the occupancy of the aircraft." And she recognizes that it is not always easy: “Sometimes it is a Tetris.”
There are companies that choose to offer an upgrade to the passenger who agrees to change seats - they always look for the individual who flies alone -, such as moving them to a higher class, but when it is not possible, they play with other variables. “My company is a low cost company, so this option does not exist, so we propose a location at the front, which will allow you to disembark earlier, moving families to the queue area, or we invite you to sit in a window seat". Vanesa brings iron to the matter and states that from her experience, the majority of the passage tends to be understanding with children.
A separate case is that which occurs with elderly people. “On Imserso trips, for example, the commotion is usually greater - he explains - since there are couples who are not willing to sit separately. In any case, he warns that the only guarantee for traveling together is to pay for it, choosing a seat when formalizing the reservation, or opting for a family rate, when traveling with minors.
Another controversy that frequently emerges is the inconvenience that the presence of children on board can cause. Prolonged flight time, boredom, being seated, and the effects of pressure buildup in children's ears during takeoff or landing (a simple solution is, for example, chewing on a cookie) they make an impact on them. When faced with screams or cries, parents struggle looking for the best way to calm them down, but cabin neighbors tend to get impatient, especially if it is a night flight and their intention is to sleep.
PhotoAiD, an application specialized in generating passport photos, conducted a survey of US travelers this summer to find out their opinion regarding adults-only flights. The result was overwhelming: eight out of ten respondents declared they agreed with them. But, seven out of ten of those who had been against flights without the presence of children confessed to supporting kid-free zones on planes that make regular routes.
The survey revealed another significant piece of information: the vast majority of these travelers would be willing to pay up to 30% more to sit in one of these seats. Despite the conclusions of the survey, different experts doubt the viability of the initiative, since they consider that children are not the most disruptive segment on a flight, and agree that adults who shout, who have consumed alcohol or large groups.
However, two Asian low-cost airlines, Scoot, based in Singapore, and Malaysia's AirAsia, already have kid-free zones on their planes. Both have quiet areas in the front of their aircraft reserved for those over 12 years old, which also offer some additional comforts.
Starting next November 3, these airlines will be joined by the Turkish Corendon, which will test adult-only spaces on the Amsterdam-Curaçao route, for whose seats it will charge an additional 45 euros. It is still early to assess its success, time will tell.
