Fed up with crying babies? JetBlue Airways launches child-free charter flights, but experts say it’s unlikely to become the norm

Many travelers wish they could fly without having to deal with a crying baby, a tantrum-throwing child, or a child kicking the back of the chair. Such cries often appear on social media, along with complaints from child-behaving or neglectful parents. JetBlue recently launched a “child-free special flight”, and the limited-edition package sold out in less than 2 hours. However, aviation industry experts believe it is almost impossible to make regular child-free flights the norm.

Washington Post According to reports, I want to take this JetBlue flight between New York andFlorida “Child-Free Flights” charter flights, passengers must book a flight that involves Virgincruise ship (Virgin Voyages) 4-night adults-only cruise itinerary vacation package. Marie-Louise Sturm, a spokeswoman for JetBlue’s leisure business subsidiary, said all 60 cruise cabins in the “Do Not Disturb” package sold out in less than two hours.

Sturm said the overwhelming response showed that travelers are interested in a fully integrated adults-only vacation program, but JetBlue remains a “family-friendly airline.” Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt reported that no US airlines would announce a ban on children traveling on specific flights or routes for two reasons. At first, this would cause great concern, “the airline will be portrayed as the bad guy.” Secondly, airlines may also face lawsuits as a result. “Airlines exist to serve the needs of the public and children are part of the flying public,” he said.

Mark Eggett, head of marketing at online booking site Alternative Airlines, said in an email that consumers appear to be “really curious” about child-free flights, but mass-market demand has not yet emerged. “There’s definitely a demand for flights with kids, but that demand pales in comparison to the factors travelers really consider when booking, like fares, flexible payment options and legroom,” he said.

The Alternative Airlines website lists a handful of international airlines that restrict access to certain cabin areas for small children. For example, Singapore’s low-cost airline Scoot sells quiet area seats on its Boeing 787 aircraft called “Scoot-in-Silence”, which are restricted to passengers aged 12 and over. Eggett said it’s understandable why airlines, even if they offer quiet zones, would limit the service to specific cabin areas or routes.

He wrote: “Families are a large, loyal and high-spending group, especially during school holidays. On a completely child-free flight, there should be enough passengers willing to pay higher fares to fill all the seats. There is also a reputational risk, and curtains or different rows of seats on the same aircraft may not block noise.”

Other major US airlines did not respond to inquiries or declined to comment. If US airlines want to restrict scheduled flights to adults-only, there is no law that can directly prevent it. There have been calls for airlines to offer adults-only flights for years and even some parents support the idea.

John E. DiScala, founder of travel website JohnnyJet.com, and his journalist wife, Natalie DiScala, have two children. The couple said they will be fully prepared before taking off to ensure their children have something to do, remain focused and follow the rules during the flight.

DiScala said that when she was single, she would have welcomed flights without children and would now welcome airlines offering this option to passengers who complain about flying with children. Natalie said that children are human beings and have the right to travel, but parents have a responsibility to do their best to ensure that their children and everyone else on the plane are safe.