Scoot Airline and AirAsia X child free

'Scoot in silence' cabin.

Scoot, a budget airline of Singapore Airlines, is introducing a child-free zone on their flights. Passengers will sit in an area behind business class, with more leg room, where under 12's are banned. Is it sound proof?

Tracey Spicer, family columnist of Traveller, says the concept of child-free areas  on planes is 'offensive'. 'It's something I feel very strongly about, it's treating children like they're animals in a zoo," she said. Then continuing to say that some of the worst flights she has had have been because of adults. Drunk, smelly or not fitting in their seat.

I don't mind there is a child free zone. I understand the glares I get when we sit down next to someone. I can feel them looking, and hoping, that the children are going to be quiet, still and behave. Then they look around to see if there are any free seats before burying their head in the inflight magazine. Perhaps they then order a scotch.

Children do have a bad reputation, but on the whole, children fly quite well. And babies that cry, well, it's not their fault. And look at their parents. Normally they are doing everything they can do stop the crying, and are ripping themself up thinking everyone is glaring at them.

On a flight back from Singapore, we sat next to a woman travelling with a baby and toddler. She was on her way back from Ireland, where she had visited family. Her husband had to leave early to go back to work. So she was doing the trip alone.

Her toddler did a great job, but her poor baby girl was having a hard time. She cried for the majority of the overnight flight, and distraught mum couldn't do anything to stop her. She tried. She tried hard. Another passenger tried. I tried. Not much worked.

Yes, it disturbed the people around her. Yes, we didn't sleep much. But I feel a lot more for the poor mum who not only had to try to calm her baby, look after her toddler, and deal with the thought of glaring, whispering passengers.

Think about it next time.