Survey Shows That 52 Percent of Fliers Think Families With Small Kids Should Fly Separately

If there’s one thing that makes a parent’s blood pressure rise, it’s the thought of flying with kids. Even the best-behaved child has a moment or two on a flight — and it instills so much fear that some parents have even taken to handing out goody bags to fellow passengers. But how much do people really mind the toddler in seat 12E? A new state of travel survey from travel booking site Airfarewatchdog says a lot — but it's not all bad news.

Airfarewatchdog canvassed more than 4,000 travelers about air travel using an online survey. A full 92 percent of people said that the flying experience is less than desirable. In addition:

The worst part about flying is the pre-boarding process (48.5 percent of respondents), followed by researching and booking a flight (27.8 percent)
Southwest is rated the most flier-friendly airline (35.2 percent), followed by Delta (21.2)
The biggest fear about seatmates is sitting next to someone who’s sick (39.3 percent), then someone who has an unpleasant body odor (28 percent)
Over half (52 percent) of respondents say that families with kids age 10 and under should be required to sit in a separate section of the plane

Anyone who’s ever traveled with kids understands that crying babies can be frustrating and inconvenient to everyone on a flight. But sectioning off families probably isn’t the answer. After all, most flights are relatively small — and just because you’re not seated to the left of a tantruming toddler doesn’t mean you’re blissfully unaware of what’s going on.

As a parent, ease the stress of flying by taking a few steps to ensure a smoother flight. Most of it comes down to smart preparation — including packing games and toys, bottles and snacks, and feeding your little one during takeoff and landing to ease the ear pressure.

A few more tips:

Once you're on the plane, tether objects — such as your baby's pacifier — to something secure to prevent them from falling on the ground (and to save yourself the trouble of having to navigate the very small, cramped space between your seat and the floor when trying to pick them up)
Prepare for spills and messes by packing extra supplies, such as diapers (every parent understands the struggle of trying to change diapers on a plane), wipes, a change of clothing for your L.O. and an extra T-shirt for yourself
Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. You're definitely not the first to fly with a baby or small child, and flight attendants are used to accommodating families

And keep in mind, the survey’s findings also mean that nearly half of people understand that kids will be kids. At the end of the day, you need to get from point A to point B, and your kids are along for the ride. So instead of stressing, assume your seatmate is looking at your child’s seat as half full and not half empty. And focus instead on all the many instances of fellow passengers going out of their way to make air travel easier for parents with kids in tow.