A new poll by flight comparison website Jetcost.co.uk has revealed that over half of Britons would be in favour of the introduction of ‘adult-only’ flights; with ‘loud children’ topping the chart of in-flight annoyances.

It appears that UK fliers may be at the end of their tethers when it comes to noisy children on flights, as a new poll conducted by a UK flight comparison website has revealed that more than half of Britons would welcome the introduction of ‘adult-only’ flights.

The poll, conducted by www.Jetcost.co.uk, aimed to find out more about the bugbears of UK fliers when on-board an aircraft; with 1,666 people aged 18 and over taking part, all of whom had flown within the past 24 months.

Those taking part were asked to state what aspects of flying, if any, had annoyed them the most in the past; selecting all that applied from a list of possible answers. According to the results, the ‘top in-flight annoyances of Britons’ were as follows:
1) Loud children- 63%
2) Other passengers reclining seats- 61%
3) Non-allocated seats- 53%
4) Poor airline food- 51%
5) Lack of leg room- 48%

In relation to ‘loud children’ featuring as a chief annoyance, those taking part were asked: “Would you be in favour of ‘adult only’ flights; with no children allowed on-board?” To this, more than half, 53%, of respondents answered ‘yes’.  These respondents were then asked if they’d be happy to pay more for the privilege of no-children on board, to which the majority, 61%, said they would.

Similarly, those taking part were asked if they would welcome the introduction of ‘non-reclining seats’ on board. Two fifths, 44%, of respondents said ‘yes’; whilst a further quarter, 24%, said they would welcome the introduction ‘only on short-haul flights.’

Jerome Cohen-Scali, Co-Founder of Jetcost.co.uk, commented on the findings:
“We’re always seeking to find out more about the flying experiences of UK passengers, and as bugbears are an inevitable part of anyone’s travelling experience, we wanted to find out exactly what annoys people the most on-board. To see loud children top the charts wasn’t too surprising, as screaming babies or toddlers in confined spaces for any period of time is bound to drive anyone up the wall; but to see that so many adults would pay more for child-free flights was interesting.”

He continued:
“I suppose if child-free holidays and resorts are on offer, then it’s only a matter of time before flights may follow in their footsteps. It seems that many would be willing to pay a little extra for the privilege!”