We’ve all been there: you settle down in your aeroplane seat, then there’s a moment of raw, chilling horror as a parent sits down with a baby… right next to you.

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So why don’t airlines offer child-free zones on planes?

A recent survey by Airfarewatchdog found that a little over half of airline passengers (presumably the half without kids) would pay for such zones.


One idea under discussion is to have areas with parents at one end of the cabin, and areas for others at the other end.

Are child-free flights a first class idea? Parents dread their kids playing up and getting the evil eye, while non-parents might do anything to avoid being sat near a brat. So one airline's offering cabins with families at one end and the children-free at the other. Thoughts? — The Wright Stuff (@5WrightStuff) February 8, 2018

Several airlines have announced ‘kid free zones’ in a blaze of publicity, such as Indian budget carrier Indigo – but it’s yet to catch on with international airlines.



Plenty of people on social media have strong opinions on the matter, though, as you might expect after watching videos like the one below.

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some believe there should be a separate airplane cabin for those traveling without children but I will do you one better — there should be an entire AIRLINE that guarantees child-free travel — j (@KAKSlKUD) January 15, 2018

I wish there was a child free airline . I would definitely pay atleast $100 more for the guarantee of no kids during my travel — Liquid Lightning OUT NOW (@LuzcidMusic) January 12, 2018

can someone please make a child-free airline happen?? — Nicolas KaJe (@raje_kaje) January 5, 2018

So why has no one done it?

Probably because it would provoke parents into an insane fury, says Tracy Stewart of Airfarewatchdog in an interview with Business Insider.

Stewart said, ‘It would be great if an American carrier would give it a shot, but I would be surprised if anyone takes it on.

‘It’s probably hard for parents to be super objective for this stuff.

‘If you’re a parent and you live with that kind of behaviour, you’re probably pretty resigned to kicking and screaming. If some stranger calls out your kid for misbehaving on a plane, those situations escalate so quickly.’