With Rising Popularity, Should Airlines Offer Adults-Only Flights for Travelers?

Calls for adults-only flights are ramping up.

A recent survey conducted by Photo Aid revealed that more plane travelers would prefer the option of a flight only for adults. The case for adults-only flights has been ongoing for over a decade now, per ABC News, but continued online discussion is reigniting significant interest in the concept. According to the survey, most travelers indicated that they’d choose an adults-only flight, and more than 50% also said they would also pay more for the exclusive service.

The thought of an incessantly crying child on a plane is presumably the culprit for wanting an adults-only flight…or so you’d think. It turns out this is not the full story. The survey also showed that many people would approve of children being on planes, with 69% stating they’d just prefer a section designated for adults-only as opposed to a completely child-free flight.

Sarah Dandashy, travel expert at Ask A Concierge, says there are already adults-only travel accommodations in the hospitality ecosystem, so the proposition of a flight with the same idea isn’t too far-fetched. However, adults-only flights are still a hot-button issue with differing opinions.

Sarah’s Thoughts

“We are all familiar with the concept of adults-only resorts, but what if we took that same concept and put it line some flights? That’s exactly what this company Photo Aid did in doing a recent survey where they interviewed many travelers and they found that eight out of 10 travelers actually want adult-only flights.

And not only did this significant number of people want the option for adults only flights, but they were actually willing to pay anywhere from 10 to 30 percent more for an adults-only flight, especially for the long haul.

Now, what’s interesting is the other side of the spectrum, for those 20 percent that were like, ‘No, adults-only flights aren’t that necessary.’ Most of them were actually supportive of having maybe an adults-only section on flights. So, this is really interesting and certainly causing a lot of discussion. People feel very strongly about this. Now, will airlines actually follow suit and have adults-only flights bookable? I’m not sure about that.

It might prove to be a little bit tricky and dicey, but that being said, maybe an airline might end up exploring some of these options. So, interesting to see. Love that discussion. People feel very strongly about this, but curious for you guys, how do you feel about an adults-only flight? Would you opt for it and would you pay more? I think I would.”