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85 Percent of Flying Public Wants to See Children in Separate Section of Plane

Written by thomas · Filed Under Commercial 

August 18, 2008

thomas

BOSTON, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ — A new airfarewatchdog.com(TM) poll
reveals the frustration that most passengers feel when seated next to an
active child or crying baby while flying.

When asked “Should airlines have a section of the plane reserved for
parents with babies and smaller children?” 10,170 or 58% of respondents
answered, “Yes, they should have done this long ago,” while 27% answered,
“Yes, but they never will and it’ll never work.” Only 15% answered, “No,
this is a bad idea.”

In comments posted on airfarewatchdog.com message boards, some parents
with small children said that they would be in a more understanding and
supportive environment were they to sit with other families rather than
next to business travelers and adults traveling without children.

Asked to comment, David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport
Association, said that children-only sections would be “logistically
difficult” to implement, such as in cases where a passenger requested and
paid for a seat in an adults-only section of the plane but was forced to
sit in the children’s section due to an oversold flight or the substitution
of a larger plane for a smaller one.

Although airfarewatchdog.com remains neutral on this issue, the site’s
creator, George Hobica, notes that “even a kids-only section would not
prevent truly unruly kids and their parents from being booted off a flight,
as happened on a recent Southwest Airlines flight to Phoenix when a mother
traveling with her four children was unable to keep them in their seats.”

Airfarewatchdog recommends the following steps to mitigate the effects
of active babies and children while traveling by air:

— Never travel without noise canceling or blocking headphones, such as
those offered by Bose, Sony and Shure.

— Try to sit in the first exit row of planes that offer two exit rows.
Little ones can’t sit in exit rows, so you’ll be sure that no tiny feet
will be pummeling your seat back.

— Take very early morning flights (5 a.m. or 6 a.m., if they’re
available). Parents can rarely manage to dress, feed, wash, and otherwise
organize infants and toddlers in time to catch flights that early in the
day.

— Speak up. Talk to the guardian of the offending child, politely but
firmly. Admittedly, this doesn’t always work. Ask a flight attendant to
speak with the parent, or to reseat you. If the situation is really
horrendous and only business or first class is available, ask to be
upgraded if seats are available.

If all else fails, Hobica says, “Just grin and bear it. Or start
wailing, kicking and screaming yourself.”

To see the poll results, go to
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/link/kidssurvey

About Airfarewatchdog.com(TM)

Airfarewatchdog.com(TM) is the web’s most comprehensive airfare deal
website that aggregates and evaluates low airfares from online travel and
airline sites. Airfarewatchdog.com is owned and operated by Smarter Travel
Media LLC.

About Smarter Travel Media LLC

Smarter Travel Media LLC operates the airfarewatchdog.com(TM),
bookingbuddy.com(TM) & SmarterTravel.com(TM) sites.

Airfarewatchdog, Airfarewatchdog.com and SmarterTravel are either
trademarks or registered trademarks of Smarter Travel Media LLC in the U.S.
and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned
herein may be the property of their respective owners.

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