Many of us have been there. You settle into your seat for a long-haul flight and breathing a sigh of relief as the plane tales off, you’re suddenly jolted by a screaming child behind you, who then starts kickboxing your chair.
While some parents are considerate and prepared to calm a troubled tyke, others have no control over a disruptive child who causes serious distress to the other passengers.
The conversation about adults only flights was reignited after a social media clip shows lights out in an airplane, allowing drowsy-eyed passengers some rest.
But then one child, wearing a flashing light-up bunny onesie, took it as a cue to light up the cabin, making it look like the inside of a dance club.
The kid is seen popping his head up over the back of the seat, and smiling, while the man seated next to him–likely his father–is very aware of the wild child’s behavior but does nothing to control him.
Sparking a lively conversation over the Instagram post, people expressed their shock over the child’s behavior and the inconsiderate adult who let it happen.
@malecastellonn ♬ original sound – Vanessa Sirias
“Parents need to be told that the whole world doesn’t have to tolerate their children,” writes one user while a second says, “I’d open the emergency door for ‘fresh air.’”
Many people raised the concern about photosensitivity and how flickering lights can trigger seizures. One netizen writes, “Absolutely not. While the parents might think this is cute what about people with medical issues?”
A flight attendant chimed in on the conversation, begging passengers to be mindful of others. “As a flight attendant [I’d] say put that it away. There are people trying to rest, read, watch a movie etc. Also there are people with disabilities and this can be incredibly annoying and irritating for them,” the post continued, “Leave stuff like this for home, or amusement parks. Not in a tiny tin can at 30 000ft in the air. Some folks have sensitive eyes please consider others around you.”
Last year, a woman posted a TikTok video where she’s trapped on a three-hour flight with a screaming kid. The viral clip, that attracted 1.2 million likes, was shared by Morgan Lee, a 24-year-old from Florida.
Championing adults-only flights, Morgan titles the clip “Why isn’t there such a thing as adults only flights? I would pay SO much money.”
Lee writes, “The flight was three hours and I listened to this the entire time. “I have noise cancelling headphones, the child was well over five years old, and they sat directly behind me while kicking my chair as the mother slept.”
While the majority of online users offered support in her bid for kid-free flights, some mothers called her “disgusting” and a “cretin” for not appreciating a screeching child.
One user, who doesn’t consider the “grace” should be mutual, writes, “And this is why people/parents/mums have anxiety when leaving the house. Because no grace is given.” And another said, “Poor you. My heart goes out to you and the amount of hours you endured another human’s cries. I hope you’re better now.”
One mom agrees with Lee and writes, “as a mom, I want an adult only flight too.”
@mooorganic The flight was 3 hours and I listened to this the entire time #travel ♬ original sound – Mo
Hearing the pleas, Turkish-owned Corendon Airlines is adding a child-free zone (16 years and up) in their airplanes to allow other passengers a more peaceful flight.
Corendon, that also runs adults-only hotels in number of destinations including Curaçao, Bodrum and Ibiza, will have the option available on its flights in November, for an extra fee.
Still, many frequent flyers suggest a section is not enough.
“Don’t see the point, where ever you sit you’ll hear a child crying/screaming. Only thing that would work is separate flights, one for families and one for people without kids.” Another says the extra fees should be charged to parents and not unaccompanied adults.
“They should be putting a separate section for ‘Passenger with Children’ and let them pay extra charges not the other way around, besides [it’s] about time for them to pay the inconvenience they’ve been causing to other passengers.”
Meanwhile, some cyber users say that splitting the space is a great idea. “Marvellous idea-I’d pay extra for this,” writes one and a second, referring to the physical disruptions, adds, “Brilliant, I once spent a whole flight with a child kicking the back of my seat, I asked the mother to get her child to stop, she did absolutely nothing.”
The airline explains that the space in the forward cabin will have a total of 102 seats, which includes nine extra legroom seats and 93 standard seats.
While Corenden is the first European carrier to offer this option, Malaysia Airlines, Scoot, Air Asia X and IndiGo all have designated areas for parents and children.
We understand that flying can be difficult and confusing for a child and perhaps some parents need to consider a different method of travel, or at least show some consideration! Many people without a child in tow don’t have the capacity or patience to handle out of control kids, and for people who aren’t used to it, excessive noise can have a severe impact on health.
What do you think of noisy kids on a flight, and do you feel a kids-free zone is enough?
Please share this story and let’s see what others have to say about kids on planes!