Frequent fliers who were delighted when they found cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms often cringe when seated next to screaming or unhappy children on planes. A recent survey by Skyscanner, of over 2,000 fliers, found that almost 60 percent of them would like airlines to create a families only section on flights. Nearly 20 percent of those surveyed said that they would prefer to fly on child free flights.
The majority of poll respondents favoring the creation of a families only section said that they do not have young children and want to sit as far away from them as possible. Previous polls have found that young children rank as the most annoying issue when flying.
Some fliers have suggested that airlines might become interested in creating an adults only section on planes, if they were able to charge a fee for the prospect of flying more peacefully.
Aviation experts point out that it is not possible for airlines to allocate seating capacity solely to families because airlines do not know in advance of check in how many families will be on any particular flight.
Some frequent fliers have come out against the idea of family only sections because they would restrict airlines flexibility when assigning seats. Reserving a block of seats for families would reduce the number of aisle seats available and often preferred by other travelers.
While it is not practical to consider separating the young families from the rest of the travelers on all flights, it just might work on routes laden with families such as those going into Orlando. At the very least, an attempt could be made to seat families in the back half of planes.
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