Air passengers travelling with young children find it difficult to get support from flight attendants, according to a new poll.
The survey, undertaken by Skyscanner, found that more than one in 10 parents found it difficult to get sympathy from cabin crew when their kids became upset. The poll of 1,000 air passengers with children was conducted in response to the news last week that a disruptive toddler was ordered off an Alaska Airlines flight prior to take-off. The incident is reported to have occurred when the child became upset after being told to switch off an electronic device.
“There can be some challenges when flying with young children as they are too young to understand why they are being told to do certain things,” said Skyscanner’s Mary Porter. “But this can be made less stressful for parents if cabin crew staff can be more patient and understanding during these times.
“If cabin crew were specifically trained to understand the needs of families better and able to assist with the youngest of airline passengers, the experience could be stress-free for everyone and many of these negative experiences could be completely avoided,” Ms Porter added.
More than a third of parents surveyed said their child had suffered a ‘meltdown’ on an aircraft, and 13% said their children have become upset after being told to switch off electronic devices by cabin crew.
