We'd pay £100 extra to guarantee a child-free flight

Updated
Mother and son having a meal in the airplane while flying
Mother and son having a meal in the airplane while flying



When asked about the extras we would be willing to pay £100 for on a flight, the most common answer - unsurprisingly - was more legroom - requested by 37% of people. However, there were also some more unusual options selected by a surprising number of people - including sitting in a child-free area, being given a personal parachute, and being able to sit by the emergency exit. The good news is that we can actually get many of these things for free.

The research, by GoCompare, asked people what they would pay for on flights of four hours or longer. After legroom, the second most popular answer was unlimited food and drink (30%), followed by a child-free area (25%) and a seat-back entertainment system (21%).

Peace and quiet also rated highly, with 14% of people saying they would pay £100 to sit in a silent area - or a quiet one. The same number said they would pay £100 for priority boarding and disembarking, and a personal parachute.

And some unexpected answers were chosen by more than 10% of people - including the chance to sit in a smoking section (favoured by 13%) and a seat away from overweight passengers (11%).

What can you do?
The good news for passengers is that you can already pay for a number of these things - including extra legroom, a seat in the emergency exit, and seats close to the front of the plane so you can get off first. On many flights the extras cost far less than £100, so if there's something you care deeply about, check how much it would cost you to upgrade.
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The even better news is that you don't always have to pay extra for these things, because there are tricks to getting a number of them without having to pay a penny.

Legroom.
Before you choose an airline, have a look at the planes they fly on your route, and check out SeatGuru.com. It should reveal which of the carriers on your route offer the most legroom, so you can factor this into your price comparisons.

Alternatively you can ask for a seat in the bulkhead or the emergency exit row - although bear in mind that a number of airlines will charge extra for these seats nowadays.

Child-Free zones
Some airlines around the world actually offer these, including Air Asia X and Singapore-based airline Scoot. However, on Scoot you do have to pay more for these seats - as it's a budget airline. Child-free areas are also expected to come to the UK within the next few years - as Thomson Airways announced plans for child-free zones and kids clubs as part of flight overhauls starting in 2018.

Quiet zones
The child-free zones are also designated quiet zones - so Thomson Airways will allow you to book a quiet spot in future away from noisy chatters, loud laughers and computer gamers.

Priority boarding
If you want to get this for free, you'll need to decide which is more important to you: the opportunity to get on first and find space in the overhead locker, or the chance to get off first at your destination. If getting on is a priority then try to book a seat at the back, because a large number of airlines will board back to front. If getting off is key, then book as far forward as you can, to be by the exit.

If you have difficulty getting around - or you are travelling with very young children - there's no need to pay for priority boarding, because these group are usually called forward for boarding before everyone else anyway.

Smoking
There's bad news for smokers: you won't find a smoking flight in or out of any airport in Europe or the US, and ignoring the rules will get you into an awful lot of trouble. In March, a Pennsylvania college professor decided to light up on an American Airlines flight.

Unfortunately for her fellow passengers, after being told that police would be waiting for her at their destination, she decided to treat her passengers to two hours of her views on America's relationship with Venezuela. A video of it went viral, and she is no longer working for the college.

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