Kids on planes. A reality, a pressure-cooker – and sometimes a delight. As a child-free person and frequent flyer, I can’t count the number of times my heart has sunk at the sight of a toddler climbing into the seat beside or in front of me, only to find myself cooing through an impromptu game of peek-a-boo or smiling at their cute aviation questions hours later.
Then there are the other times when, four hours into a 12-hour night flight to Bangkok, the six-year-old four rows in front is playing on a gaming device. At full volume. With no headphones. Often cabin crew are reluctant to intervene at moments like this unless it’s a full in-aisle meltdown – when I asked in this case, a Thai Airways flight attendant merely grimaced and said: “It’s a child.”
