As summer approaches and Brits begin to pack for their flights, travellers have shared their biggest bugbears when jetting off on holiday. According to recent research¹, a whopping 51% of travellers find noisy children to be their top irritant when on a flight, closely followed by 23% who struggle to cope with the sound of crying babies.
From crying babies to headphone etiquette, children’s toy retailer, The Kid Collective, reveals five of the UK’s worst travel icks:
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Passengers not using headphones (59%)
One of the top icks on a plane journey is passengers not using headphones when listening to electronic devices. Whether it’s children playing video games or adults watching a TV series, 28% find this unacceptable¹ and 31% finding it completely unacceptable¹. When surrounded by noise like this, you can ask the plane attendants to request them to use headphones or supply you with earplugs.
If your child is eager to listen to entertainment while travelling and you want to keep passengers happy at the same time, a mini audio player with headphones will do the trick.
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Loud and noisy children above the age of four (51%)
Most parents with young children prepare before their travels, packing every kind of snack and entertainment source to keep their little ones pleased. However, those accompanying young children can never know when they may become tiresome, bored or agitated and, therefore, cannot foresee any frustrations.
With 51% of respondents admitting they find loud and noisy children above the age of four particularly irksome on their travels¹, parenting experts at The Kid Collective recommend that caregivers choose a curated selection of toys to accompany their children on long journeys.
Founder of The Kid Collective, Laura Davies, suggests: “Taking a bag of carefully selected activities to keep little ones engaged and happy which makes minimal mess and noise is key to keeping other travel passengers content. And bonus, your child can enjoy various fun and captivating activities to promote independent and guided play.”
Passengers fully reclining their seats (53%)
Long journeys require many modes of distraction and entertainment. Some choose to watch a film, while others sleep through the journey and awake at their destination. However, public transport rarely feels comfortable or spacious, especially when passengers recline their seats fully.
While 53% of travellers find this unacceptable¹, navigating how to communicate this respectfully when sitting behind the reclined seat can be challenging. The most understanding way to proceed is to communicate by politely asking the person sitting behind if you can recline or asking the passenger in front of you if they mind keeping their seat upright.
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Crying babies (23%)
Although many find older children being noisy particularly frustrating (51%), almost half feel the same about babies¹. It’s challenging for caregivers to know when their baby will become upset, but long journeys can be particularly difficult as they’re more likely to become uncomfortable.
Laura adds: “Being surrounded by unknown passengers in a tight space with their comforts far away can be a stressful experience for little ones. For those with young babies, I’d suggest packing familiar comforters, cuddly toys, pacifiers and forms of entertainment. However, for fellow passengers, it’s beneficial for the guardian to receive respect and understanding, allowing them to stay calm for their baby.”
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Personal grooming in public (55%)
Understandably, people want to show up to their final destination looking fresh and ready for their holiday. However, 55% of respondents have admitted that self-grooming activities such as combing hair and clipping nails are unacceptable on public transport¹.
If you want to feel your best when on your journey, take grooming activities to the bathroom, avoiding confrontation with fellow passengers.
Laura comments further on keeping children occupied and happy while travelling: “It’s understandable that external factors that you can’t control can be particularly frustrating when trying to relax on public transport. While it’s easier to communicate with adults about their actions, the same can’t always be said for children.
“A child must be stimulated and entertained to stay calm through long journeys. This is why we’ve created a set of bespoke bags tailored to different children’s needs, ensuring they’re fulfilled and happy in situations where they can’t use their imagination and run around large spaces. Our new Busy Bags will keep the children occupied and allow guardians to relax and not worry about fellow passengers.
“Not only speaking from working in the children’s toy industry, but having children myself, I can assure you that guardians are doing whatever they can to keep their little ones busy and quiet on public transport, but it’s no easy task, and any kind of understanding from fellow passengers is helpful and appreciated.”
To learn more on how to keep children busy on long journeys, please visit: https://www.thekidcollective.co.uk/blog/top-tips-to-keep-kids-busy-whilst-travelling.html