Comment: Kid-free cabin the way to go

Comment: Kid-free cabin the way to go
By admin


I don’t have kids. I have never had to travel with kids. I am irresponsible on flights as I drink too much. I slap on headphones as soon as I sit down and watch movies generally unfit for kids. I fall asleep when I choose, safe in the knowledge that I have no one to look after other than myself. And that’s a struggle sometimes.

So the trials and tribulations of hauling two children on a long haul flight (heck, even a short haul flight) are largely lost on me.

That said, I can well imagine how difficult it must be to entertain two 6-year-olds or separate squabbling 10-year-olds or comfort a crying baby on a flight from Australia to, well, pretty much anywhere.

So with the job of a parent tough enough as it is, isn’t it insulting to then be told by an airline that you are not welcome in a certain part of the aircraft?

AirAsia X, Malaysia Airlines and now Scoot have done just that.

Scoot, the Singapore-based budget airline, this week became the latest carrier to exclude under-12s from a set number of rows with the creation of its ScootinSilence cabin. It will, chief executive Campbell Wilson said, give passengers confidence “that under-12s will be seated in another part of the aircraft”.

Outrageous discrimination? Well, no actually. A perfectly reasonable idea.

I don’t know why parents would be upset at this, unless of course they have lost all concept of what it was like before they took the plunge and procreated.

Backing Scoot's move doesn’t mean I don’t like children. Nor does it mean the airline resents kids boarding their aircraft. In fact, this is not about the kids. It’s about providing a cabin which offers a better chance of peace and quiet for other fare-paying passengers. Is that really so wrong?

Of course, such a tranquil atmosphere could never be guaranteed as adults are quite frequently more unpalatable than children, but that’s another issue. One Travel Today reader suggested a “yobbo-free zone”, a sound idea although he failed to explain quite how you would determine who was a yob and who wasn’t in the booking process.

I have no problem whatsoever if kids are sitting next to, behind or in front of me. But I’d certainly contemplate paying a little extra – not much it must be said – to be guaranteed a seat that wasn’t next to a potentially very upset and very loud 18-month-old.

I stress, it doesn’t mean I am a cantankerous old sod who moans at the youth of today. It doesn’t mean I don’t like the kids sitting around me. And I am sympathetic and patient – as everyone should be – towards families who must endure a torturous 20-hour journey.

On the flip side, parents who might object to Scoot’s kid-free cabin should understand that their children are sometimes not the most convivial of travelling companions.

As for discrimination, if that is the argument then surely first and business class cabins discriminate against the less wealthy of us? Anyone who argues there is no class structure in 2013 clearly hasn’t taken a look at the airline industry.

Premium passengers pay more to enjoy a more comfortable experience away from the masses. No one complains about that so how is Scoot’s silent cabin any different?

I sometimes think parents lose sight of what it was like before they had children. In fact, I know they do because friends who have them have admitted as much.

You’ve probably got adorable kids who are fun, clever and good as gold most of the time. But a long haul flight can be a trying experience for anyone and everyone.

So if there are seats away from children that give me a better chance of a more comfortable experience for a little extra money, I’d go for it. It’s nothing personal.

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