Aussie parents say youngest kids should not be on planes.

1507
June 26, 2019
parents
Out of control children are a major gripe of passengers

Out of control children are a major gripe among passengers generally but now it seems some of their parents agree they shouldn’t be on planes.

A new survey has found the majority of Aussie parents believe children under one should not be taken on flights and many believe it best those that those under five do not fly internationally.

The survey commissioned by travel insurance company InsureandGo asked 1133 Australian parents who traveled at least once in the past six months what age children should be before they can go on a domestic or international flight holiday with their family.

READ our passengers who make your flight hell survey.

Unsurprisingly,  70 percent of respondents believed it was not suitable for babies under six months to travel on domestic flights.

Six out of 10 also believed under-1s could not travel comfortably on domestic flights, dropping back to 25 percent for children aged five.

Older people were less enthusiastic about young kids on planes with 27 percent of parents aged 45-64 saying kids should be five years or older before being allowed on a domestic flight compared with 11 percent of parents under 44.

The biggest resistance to youngsters was on international flights.

More than three-quarters of those surveyed believed international flights and children under one did not mix and 45 percent thought the comfort and well-being of children under five suffered on long-haul journeys.

A not insignificant 14 percent said children should be over 12 to go on a holiday involving an international flight and this increased to 16 percent in the 45-64 age group.

There was again a generational divide with just 5 percent of parents under 45 who thought under-12s were not ready for international flying.

Advice from the company for parents who decided to fly with their children included encouraging natural sleep by bringing a favorite bedtime, reading them a story and discouraging screen time during normal sleeping hours.

The company recommended consideration of overnight flights and counteracting cabin pressure changes by encouraging kids to yawn, swallow or chew gum or sweets.

Babies could be breast or bottle fed during descent or take-off.

Parents should also reserve bassinets where possible and request the right meals, making sure they specify requirements and allergies.