Most Australians want child-free travel spaces
You must be this tall to fly.
A recent survey of over 3,100 Australians has found that the country divided on kids-free zones on flights. More than half (55%) of those surveyed were in favour of it, while the rest either didn't feel strongly or were opposed.
Strangely, there's a good chance that those most strongly in favour of kid-free zones on flights are the parents themselves. No one wants child-free holidays more than parents do.
With Australia divided down the middle on this issue, airlines also seem to be picking sides.
Scoot and AirAsiaX for example seem to have come down on the pro-quietude side of the argument, offering ScootSilence and Quiet Zone classes respectively as extra cost options, each of which bans travellers under the ages of 12 and 10 respectively.
For both you'll have to pay extra to choose your own seat, and then a bit more on top for sitting in the quiet zones. Scoot throws in another four inches of seat pitch to help make it worth it though.
Other airlines take a different tack, and aim to be the best airlines for travelling with kids. Their benefits might include extra services to ease the rigour of travelling with infants, free activity kits to keep kids occupied and some very favourable ticket prices for young children.
The survey, conducted by InsureandGo, also offered tips for travelling with children.
Helpful tip 1. Turn your glasses into a stand
Getting caught on a long flight with kids, and without a screen, spells trouble. Pre-load something on your phone and then use a set of glasses to mount it on the tray table. Partial blindness is a small price to pay for in-flight entertainment.
Helpful tip 2. Pack your own headphones
Some airlines might have headphones for kids, but don't count on it. You'll want to pack your own kid-sized headphones to make sure there's a comfier headset available.
Helpful tip 3. Plan your booking
InsureAndGo suggests that parents book overnight travel to match up with infant sleep patterns, and help them arrived refreshed at their destination.
Parents might suggest that infants aren't really in the habit of sleeping quietly through the night, so you might as well just book at the cheapest time of day to fly and hope for the best.
Helpful tip 4. Make the most of clips
Clips or carabiners can make it easier to carry water bottles, toys and anything else that needs to be close at hand, closer at hand.
By clipping them to the outside of your carry-on, you can pack that much more and won't need to go rummaging in an emergency.
Helpful tip 5. Pack outfits separately
Pack your child's outfits separately. For example, by sticking complete outfits into separate plastic bags. This can make it easier to know you've packed right, and can save time and hassle when you need to get them dressed.
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