Why We Need Childfree Flights (or at least Childfree Spaces on Flights)

By now, most of the childfree world has heard about the cancelled flight from Victoria to Toronto, caused by a toddler who wouldn’t put on his seatbelt.  And there’s been a firestorm of comments on social media, ranging from “parenting fail” to “my child wouldn’t have sat down for a week” to a more empathetic “maybe the kid had a disability.”  One of the stranded passengers displayed more compassion than I’d have been able to if I’d been delayed, especially if it meant missing something important, like a conference.
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As a childfree person, I do have certain things easier.  Flying isn’t that much of a hassle for me.  Parents of youngins have to make sure their kids are safe, so everything is a job.  And some folks deduced that this kid may have been on the autism spectrum or had another disability.  I work with college students on the spectrum, so I can understand the difficulty of parenting a toddler with that affliction.

One of the arguments I saw was, “If you know your kid has a disability, don’t bring them on the flight.”  But maybe there was a family function they needed to attend?  We don’t know the purpose of their travel.

I’m of the opinion the airline handled the situation poorly.  They should have rebooked the parent and child a lot sooner; it wasn’t fair to the other passengers who were delayed. My hope is that they got meal and hotel vouchers, along with some miles for their inconvenience.  I would’ve written immediately (and I have for far less egregious mishaps).

However, this is why we need childfree flights, or at least childfree sections on flights.  An increasing number of restaurants do this, and even a lot of parents support this policy.  A couple may want a kid-free night to enjoy each other’s company, and as for us childfree singles, well, that goes without saying.  The same deal goes with individuals and couples wanting getaways without hearing a kid’s tantrums.  So why not accommodate those needs?

Until they do, however, I’ll work to avoid flying late at night.