Just a few weeks ago it was announced that Japan Airlines were to add a feature to their seat booking system that will show where young children will be seated on flights, since then there has been much discussion online about the positive and negative aspects, but in my opinion there are some very simple methods of coping with children on a flight and none of them are quite so antagonistic.

The children on a flight who are being specifically targeted with this feature are under two years of age, a “child icon” will appear on the seat map to show where passengers are travelling with very young children.

Japan Airlines’ website says the icon “lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there”. However, the airline has warned that the tool is not fool proof, as the icon might not appear if a ticket was booked through a third party or if there was a last-minute change of aircraft.

Coping With Children on a Flight

Babies Are Not To Blame

Nobody like hearing a baby cry. We’ve probably all been somewhere where there’s been a upset or agitated child, but these incidents always seem heightened when onboard planes, for the simple reason that there is no escape: you can’t just get off the plane and catch the next one a few minutes later.

The thing to remember is that until a child learns to talk their only way of communicating is to cry, this tells those around them that they are uncomfortable, unhappy or unwell. An aeroplane is an unfamiliar and likely uncomfortable environment for a baby to be in, so why shouldn’t they make their feelings known?

Someone posted a comment on Facebook saying that to take a baby on a plane is a form of abuse. This is ridiculous. There are situations where taking a baby on a plane cannot be avoided – not every flight is for a holiday, they could be visiting a sick relative, attending a wedding or a funeral, or even emigrating. To simply say that babies should not be allowed on flights is just stupid.

Children Aren’t Just Naughty

I’ll admit that I’ve glared, tutted and sighed in an irritated manner when in the vicinity of a loud and seemingly annoying child, but sometimes we need to remember that a child who appears to be having a tantrum may actually be suffering from an emotional or anxiety-driven episode. To assume that an agitated child is simply being disruptive for the sake of it is extremely narrow minded. 

It can be difficult to distinguish between a naughty and an upset child, but a little understanding from those around can go a long way and may help the parents to diffuse the situation without it escalating into something more disturbing.

Adults Are Far Worse

Yes, children can be annoying, from seat kicking to running up and down the aisles, but think about the last time you were irritated on a flight and then think about who the culprit was. Was it a child or an adult?

I’ve flown and been seated next to a man who decided he would read his book aloud for the entire duration of the flight, another man had the worst case of manspreading I’ve ever seen, a woman sat next to me and whilst she was perfectly entitled to enjoy her knitting she definitely didn’t have to elbow me every 30 seconds.

Whenever I have witnessed bad behaviour on a flight it has always been from an adult who should definitely have known better, their excuse is probably that they have paid for a ticket and will behave however they like, but actually they are the worst culprits for making a flight unbearable. 

There are TV shows that highlight the behaviour of passengers and all of them are adults, putting bare feet on seats, drinking too much alcohol and becoming rude and aggressive, and then there is the unacceptable goings on that occurs in the toilets. The most common reason for arguments between passengers on flights is the contentious issue of reclining seats, something a child wouldn’t need to do.

The majority of people who travel with children on a flight will do their best to make the journey as comfortable as possible but there are some really simple things you can also do as a fellow passenger to ensure that you have a pleasant experience:

Personally I don’t like them, but you could pack some noise cancelling headphones – if you can’t hear the noise, you can’t complain about it.

Pick a window seat – you may be trapped but a parent with a baby is probably more likely to get up and walk around.

If you feel comfortable to do so, you could offer to help. Who knows, you might have the magic touch and win the appreciation of everyone else onboard. Not everyone wants to do this, a lot of people will have the opinion that it is up to the parent to look after their own children on a flight, but it’s the thought that counts.

Whether you want them to or not, children are often interested in what complete strangers are doing, so you may find that talking to them could actually distract them for being a nuisance, and obviously depending on the age of the child and the approval of the parents you could prove to be rather entertaining

Finally, if you really feel it’s necessary you could always just ask to move, speak to the cabin crew and ask if it’s a possibility.

Alternative Features For Airlines to Consider

Maybe it shouldn’t just be babies and young children who should be the subject to these “avoidance features” but perhaps airlines could consider marking the seats of passengers who have the more annoying and disturbing habits:

• Fully reclining seats
• Taking shoes and socks off
• Having more than one alcoholic drink before and during takeoff
• Hogging Armrests
• Needing the toilet more than once in a three-four hour period

For future reference, if anyone happens to sit next to me on a plane I have a few little habits of my own that you may like to know in advance.

• I prefer a window seat
• I’m nearly always cold so will have additional layers to wear
• I will probably be asleep before we leave the ground
• I am unlikely to need the toilet for flights under four hours long
• I don’t do small talk
• Being five foot tall I never recline my seat
• I don’t drink alcohol on flights

I’m still of the opinion that most people who are flying with children will do their best to calm the situation and to point fingers at a group of people and assume that they will be disruptive is a little discriminating, especially if they are the ones who are most likely to have an issue and less able to communicate.

I also don’t mind other people travelling with their children on a flight, as I can breathe a sigh of relief that the children are not mine, I am not the one being judged and I am hopefully not sat next to the fellow passengers making a fuss.

Have you ever had an issue with children on a flight?

Would you use this feature whilst booking a flight?

Let me know in the comments.