Nearly every week there seems to be another story of someone being kicked off the plane, whether it's parents with an unruly child, a passenger who has slapped a child, or two passengers who've gotten into a fight. Given that many domestic flights are pretty similar to being on a public bus (except without the option to get off mid-trip) and many flights are packed, it's perhaps not surprising.
So what can you do to avoid sitting next to a screaming child or obnoxious fellow passenger, and what should you do about it if you are?
Avoid Annoying Kids and Passengers
1. Fly First Class
Now admittedly this won't work as well on a domestic trip, where quite a few kids fly domestic business/first class, but on a long international flight it's worth earning the miles and points to fly first class. Yes, there may be the occasional young kid in international first class, but even if there is, chances are she or he will be a lot better behaved and have less to get upset about in the first place. See Top 10 Reasons to Fly First Class with Kids
Malaysia Airlines has Banned Babies in First Class, so that's another option, at least on its flights to London, Amsterdam and Sydney from Kuala Lumpur.
In international First Class, there's no chance you'll have a kid kicking your seat, and the only way they'd intrude upon your space is if the parents are truly letting him or her run wild. Flight attendants are quite diligent as well about ensuring that passengers from other cabins don't wander around First Class, so you really only need to worry about the occasional overentitled ultra-wealthy family or obnoxious individual, and it's just not that common.
2. Domestic Trip: Take the Train or Drive
Commercial flights are public transportation, so if you really want control over your environment and it's feasible, you may want to drive. Or, especially in the Northeast, it can be worth it to take the train and sit in the Quiet Car. You can more easily stretch your legs, and don't have to deal with trekking to or from the airport on either end of your trip.
3. Avoid Peak Travel Times
While it's not always possible, if you can avoid traveling during peak times of the year and peak days and times, you're less likely to encounter packed flights and you reduce your risk of dealing with the most annoying passengers (especially those that don't travel often). We always avoid traveling during major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, and see our family and friends at other times of the year. A nice side benefit is not having to worry about availability with miles and points during blackout periods, and avoiding expensive airfare.
4. Avoid the Most Popular Travel Destinations
You can bet your chances of flying with lots of kids (including some unruly ones) are higher when flying to Orlando, due to DisneyWorld. And don't expect high standards of adult behavior if flying to or from Las Vegas. Of course, there can still be unruly kids or adults on a flight to South Africa, but going to less popular locations does tend to reduce the chance of rubbing elbows with certain kinds of travelers you'd rather avoid.
On the Flight
5. Use Noise Cancelling Headphones
If noise is one of the greatest annoyances for you, hopefully you already have a pair of noise cancelling headphones that you like. A number of first class cabins provide these anyway for use during the flight. Feel free to recommend your favorite noise cancelling headphones in the comments.
6. Bring Sleeping Pills or Other Sleep Aids and Painkillers with You
Note that these are for you, not for any annoying kids or other passengers! I still remember the story about that Northwest flight attendant, Daniel Cunningham, who spiked the juice of a 19 month old child with Xanax–heinous. In any case, it's good to ensure you've brought with you anything that reliably helps you to sleep, as well as whatever you take as a painkiller for headaches, back pain, etc.
7. Bring Some Kid-Friendly Distractions and Food
Especially for domestic flights, I seem to often hear horror stories about people sitting near unruly small kids whose parents haven't brought much if anything to occupy them during the flight. Even if you're childless, if you seem to find yourself more often than you'd like with this problem, consider packing some light coloring books and crayons and maybe even some kid-friendly snacks such as boxed raisins.
Should this be unnecessary? Yes. But the reality is that not every parent is as responsible for their child as other passengers would like. You don't need a license or to pass a test to become a parent, after all. I love how these parents of twins did the reverse and handed a message, treats, and offer of ear plugs to everyone on their flight:
8. Talk Directly to the Annoying Kid or Adult First
While some people go straight to contacting a Flight Attendant, I'd recommend at least trying to diffuse the situation with the child or parents first.
- Ensure your request is reasonable. If you're trying to sleep and a parent is reading a child a story, it's really not reasonable to ask the parent to not read. Use your headphones.
- Say something within the first few minutes–don't wait until you're incredibly angry
- Start off with something like “Sorry to bother you…” and assume that the child is unaware of what s/he is doing and that the parent is unaware, even if it seems impossible for them not to have noticed what they're doing
- Be firm but polite
Now, you may not get the response you'd like, but it's usually helpful to at least try to resolve it among yourselves before involving an FA, who is primarily there for safety. The FA can ensure the child remains buckled in as required for takeoff, landing and turbulence, and can stop the more obvious infringement on your space (hitting you) but short of moving you to another seat, she or he can't really fix everything to ensure your comfort or make the adult parent the child better.
9. As a Last Resort Involve a Flight Attendant
This is most helpful when the problem is one that the Flight Attendant can address due to safety issues, or by reseating you, as noted above.
10. Keep Perspective
If all else fails, try to keep some perspective. Yes, you may be on a very long international flight and it can be torture to be exhausted and not able to sleep due to a screaming child or very loud or obnoxious fellow passenger. But the flight will eventually come to an end, as all things do. After a good night or two of sleep at your destination you'll probably be back to normal.
What's the most annoying passenger you've encountered on a flight, and what did you do?
Related Posts
Top 10 Reasons to Fly First Class with Kids
How to Fly Your Family First Class for Almost Free
Flying with Kids: Tips for Taking Toddlers on Long Plane Flights
Best Airlines for Kids and Families
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Photo credit: thesummerlad